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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Spain versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,494 in Spain versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,299 in Spain versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Spain is roughly 135% more expensive than in China on average.

Spain (23% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $980 to $2,739, compared to $458–$1,247 in China. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €14.84

$2.90 ¥19.44

492.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.43

$22.13 ¥148

158.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.96

$5.31 ¥35.61

117.51%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.10

$2.99 ¥20.06

-18.73%

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

$2.61 €2.25

$0.48 ¥3.21

443.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.61

$0.30 ¥2.03

523.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.00

$1.02 ¥6.83

241.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.43

$2.21 ¥14.83

79.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.74 ¥11.67

-27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.68 ¥11.24

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$0.96 ¥6.43

72.92%

Eggs

$3.43 €2.96

$1.54 ¥10.35

122.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 €12.74

$13.51 ¥90.7

9.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 €7.58

$3.48 ¥23.35

152.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 €14.47

$11.34 ¥76.1

47.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.88 ¥12.59

38.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.29 ¥8.68

64.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.52 ¥10.18

40.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.31

$1.27 ¥8.54

110.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$0.72 ¥4.84

165.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.88 ¥5.90

128.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.61 ¥4.06

121.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.55 ¥3.72

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.70

$3.73 ¥25.04

77.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €4.88

$11.87 ¥79.6

-52.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$0.90 ¥6.04

45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.85

$1.68 ¥11.28

27.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.29 ¥1.94

486.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.28 €30.44

$22.23 ¥149

58.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.52 ¥10.18

201.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.32

$0.37 ¥2.49

313.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.69 €22.16

$7.33 ¥49.17

250.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.22 ¥8.20

46.72%

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

$37.2K €32.1K

$19.3K ¥129.5K

92.63%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$17.1K ¥114.9K

80.62%

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

$151 €130

$53.8 ¥361

180.84%

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

$17.98 €15.51

$8.71 ¥58.5

106.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.12 €28.58

$10.93 ¥73.3

203.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.74 €40.33

$40.74 ¥273

14.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 €13.76

$14.53 ¥97.5

9.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.55 ¥43.93

54.20%

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

$561 €484

$457 ¥3,066

22.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,566

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-43.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 €74.9

$45.62 ¥306

90.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 €32.42

$35.90 ¥241

4.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €78.9

$76.1 ¥511

20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.2

$76.4 ¥513

42.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €902

$385 ¥2,582

171.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €712

$239 ¥1,603

245.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 €1,412

$840 ¥5,634

94.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 €1,093

$484 ¥3,246

161.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,290 €3,702

$4,581 ¥30.7K

-6.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,675 €2,308

$2,266 ¥15.2K

18.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,046 €1,766

$1,065 ¥7,147

92.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

3.47

-5.19%

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

Last update for Spain: August 29, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $927 in Spain, $294 in China. Capital cities: $1,583 in Madrid vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,039 in Spain, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 215% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 181% more in Spain.

Public transport is 76% 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

Spain vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $853 per month in China and $1,860 in Spain, there's a 118% 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 simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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.