Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and China

Name: China
Address: CN

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.

85

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

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🇪🇸 Spain

$1,754

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in China

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

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

Spain $1,754
China $793

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

Spain $2,570
China $1,261

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

Spain $3,386
China $1,730

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 Spain is roughly 121% more expensive than in China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 €14.73

$2.96 ¥19.76

459.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.4

$22.74 ¥152

148.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €10.00

$5.34 ¥35.70

110.49%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.07

$3.04 ¥20.35

-23.68%

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

$2.57 €2.28

$0.48 ¥3.22

435.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.28 ¥1.85

564.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 €2.97

$1.03 ¥6.92

224.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.58

$2.27 ¥15.16

77.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.80 ¥12.02

-32.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.69 ¥11.28

-8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.00 ¥6.69

63.00%

Eggs

$3.30 €2.93

$1.56 ¥10.42

111.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 €12.76

$13.44 ¥89.8

6.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 €7.60

$3.48 ¥23.28

145.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €14.31

$11.49 ¥76.8

40.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.79 ¥12.00

36.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$1.26 ¥8.41

60.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.48 ¥9.92

39.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.31 ¥8.76

86.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$0.72 ¥4.84

147.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.78

$0.93 ¥6.24

116.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.61 ¥4.11

111.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.58 ¥3.89

29.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.42 €5.71

$3.84 ¥25.65

67.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €5.08

$11.87 ¥79.4

-51.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.15

$0.86 ¥5.72

51.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.69 ¥11.33

17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.51

$0.31 ¥2.07

448.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.97 €30.22

$22.36 ¥150

51.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.07

$1.47 ¥9.82

211.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$0.38 ¥2.53

289.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.59 €21.87

$7.03 ¥47.04

249.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.24 ¥8.32

40.32%

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

$34.9K €31.0K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

81.33%

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

$29.7K €26.4K

$17.3K ¥115.6K

71.60%

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

$147 €131

$54.3 ¥363

170.51%

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

$17.90 €15.92

$8.34 ¥55.7

114.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.21 €27.76

$10.77 ¥72.0

189.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 €39.65

$40.39 ¥270

10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 €13.35

$14.77 ¥98.8

1.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 €8.22

$6.89 ¥46.08

34.11%

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

$529 €470

$457 ¥3,057

15.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €9,212

$20.1K ¥134.2K

-48.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.5

$45.10 ¥302

88.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.80 €32.73

$35.65 ¥238

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 €79.7

$77.9 ¥521

15.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €94.8

$78.0 ¥522

36.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$988 €879

$391 ¥2,615

152.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €703

$232 ¥1,549

241.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 €1,405

$816 ¥5,457

93.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 €1,064

$459 ¥3,070

160.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 €3,610

$4,585 ¥30.7K

-11.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 €2,326

$2,309 ¥15.4K

13.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,923 €1,711

$1,084 ¥7,247

77.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

3.46

-4.62%

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

Last update for Spain: October 13, 2026

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Spain

$791 45.1%

China

$232 29.2% 70.7% $559

Groceries & Markets

Spain

$272 15.5%

China

$211 26.6% 22.2% $60

Eating Out

Spain

$237 13.5%

China

$89 11.2% 62.4% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spain

$196 11.2%

China

$73 9.3% 62.6% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Spain

$143 8.2%

China

$107 13.4% 25.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Spain

$63 3.6%

China

$54 6.8% 14.1% $8.9

Getting Around

Spain

$53 3%

China

$27 3.4% 48.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $871 in China. 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

🇪🇸 Spain

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

11:24 11:24 AM

6 h ahead of Spain

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,415,750

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Spain China 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Spain
China

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

Spain vs China: 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.