Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $1,754 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Spain

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in China and in Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in China versus $1,754 in Spain.

China $793
Spain $1,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in China versus $2,570 in Spain.

China $1,261
Spain $2,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,730 in China versus $3,386 in Spain.

China $1,730
Spain $3,386

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $928 to $2,590, compared to $466–$1,244 in China. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Living in China costs about 55% less than in Spain on average.

China (41% below) and Spain (30% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.76

$16.56 €14.73

-82.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 ¥152

$56.6 €50.4

-59.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.70

$11.24 €10.00

-52.49%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.35

$2.32 €2.07

31.03%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$2.57 €2.28

-81.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$1.86 €1.66

-84.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.92

$3.34 €2.97

-69.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$4.02 €3.58

-43.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$1.21 €1.08

48.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$1.54 €1.37

9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$1.63 €1.45

-38.65%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$3.30 €2.93

-52.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.8

$14.35 €12.76

-6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.28

$8.54 €7.60

-59.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$16.09 €14.31

-28.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$2.45 €2.18

-26.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$2.02 €1.79

-37.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$2.07 €1.85

-28.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$2.44 €2.17

-46.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.78 €1.58

-59.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$2.01 €1.78

-53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.29 €1.15

-52.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.75 €0.66

-22.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.65

$6.42 €5.71

-40.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.4

$5.71 €5.08

107.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$1.30 €1.15

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.33

$1.99 €1.77

-15.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$1.70 €1.51

-81.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 ¥150

$33.97 €30.22

-34.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$4.58 €4.07

-67.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.53

$1.48 €1.32

-74.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.04

$24.59 €21.87

-71.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$1.74 €1.55

-28.74%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$34.9K €31.0K

-44.85%

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

$17.3K ¥115.6K

$29.7K €26.4K

-41.73%

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

$54.3 ¥363

$147 €131

-63.03%

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

$8.34 ¥55.7

$17.90 €15.92

-53.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 ¥72.0

$31.21 €27.76

-65.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 ¥270

$44.57 €39.65

-9.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ¥98.8

$15.01 €13.35

-1.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ¥46.08

$9.24 €8.22

-25.43%

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

$457 ¥3,057

$529 €470

-13.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ¥134.2K

$10.4K €9,212

93.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.10 ¥302

$84.8 €75.5

-46.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 ¥238

$36.80 €32.73

-3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ¥521

$89.7 €79.7

-13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ¥522

$107 €94.8

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,615

$988 €879

-60.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,549

$791 €703

-70.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥5,457

$1,580 €1,405

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,070

$1,196 €1,064

-61.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 ¥30.7K

$4,059 €3,610

12.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 ¥15.4K

$2,615 €2,326

-11.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,247

$1,923 €1,711

-43.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.3

4.85%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.2%

Spain

$791 45.1% 241% $559

Groceries & Markets

China

$211 26.6%

Spain

$272 15.5% 28.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Spain

$143 8.2% 34.3% $37

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Spain

$237 13.5% 166% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.3%

Spain

$196 11.2% 167% $123

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

Spain

$63 3.6% 16.4% $8.9

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Spain

$53 3% 95.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $908 in Spain. Capital cities: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,506 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $871 in China, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 205% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 171% more in Spain.

Public transport is 71% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 126% higher in Spain.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇪🇸 Spain

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

47,415,750

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Spain 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Spain

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 $793 per month in China and $1,754 in Spain, there's a 121% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $908 in Spain and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and 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.