Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $1,646 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $2,401 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $3,155 in Spain.

Living in China costs about 57% less than in Spain on average.

China (47% below) and Spain (23% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,133 to $3,262, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.98

$16.17 €13.91

-82.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$57.3 €49.27

-59.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.87

$10.62 €9.14

-52.82%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.38

$2.38 €2.05

26.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ¥3.03

$2.59 €2.23

-82.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$1.91 €1.64

-84.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.41

$3.49 €3.00

-72.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.87

$4.03 €3.46

-49.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.87

$1.24 €1.07

41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$1.59 €1.37

1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$1.59 €1.37

-40.25%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.55

$3.05 €2.62

-48.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$14.55 €12.52

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.17

$8.42 €7.24

-61.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$15.52 €13.35

-31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$2.54 €2.18

-29.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$2.01 €1.73

-38.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$2.09 €1.80

-28.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$2.53 €2.18

-54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$1.85 €1.59

-59.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$1.89 €1.63

-54.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.35 €1.16

-54.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.74 €0.64

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.76

$6.35 €5.47

-44.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$5.66 €4.87

106.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.25 €1.08

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$2.06 €1.77

-19.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$1.69 €1.46

-74.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$35.10 €30.20

-40.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

$4.42 €3.80

-69.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$1.34 €1.15

-73.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$26.32 €22.64

-74.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.84 €1.58

-38.04%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.2K ¥129.7K

$38.8K €33.4K

-50.59%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$31.6K €27.2K

-46.99%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$51.2 ¥346

$150 €129

-65.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.16 ¥68.7

$20.56 €17.69

-50.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$34.49 €29.67

-66.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$47.96 €41.25

-15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$16.05 €13.80

-6.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.26

$8.99 €7.73

-32.15%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$402 ¥2,719

$509 €438

-20.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

$9,884 €8,502

78.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$86.5 €74.4

-47.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$37.14 €31.95

-10.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$92.0 €79.1

-21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$109 €93.6

-31.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,903

$1,045 €899

-58.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,739

$834 €717

-69.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,055

$1,689 €1,453

-47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,660

$1,238 €1,065

-56.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$4,378 €3,766

14.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$2,747 €2,363

-10.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,132

$2,073 €1,783

-49.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

3.51

15.67%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $898 in Spain. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,566 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $2,030 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 214% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 152% more in Spain.

Public transport is 83% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 136% higher in Spain.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

China vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $2,198 in Spain, there's a 154% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Spain beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Spain, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.