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: $1,642 in Spain versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,393 in Spain versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,144 in Spain versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Spain is roughly 131% more expensive than in China on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,125 to $3,182, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.46 €14.38

$2.86 ¥19.35

475.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.7

$23.44 ¥159

147.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 €9.25

$4.84 ¥32.75

118.80%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €2.01

$3.11 ¥21.06

-26.05%

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

$2.59 €2.26

$0.44 ¥3.00

488.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$0.29 ¥1.99

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.98

$0.98 ¥6.64

247.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.47

$2.05 ¥13.88

93.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.84 ¥12.47

-35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.62 ¥10.94

-4.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$0.93 ¥6.28

70.97%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.67

$1.63 ¥11.03

87.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 €12.56

$13.15 ¥89.0

9.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 €7.39

$3.26 ¥22.09

159.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.93

$10.62 ¥71.9

50.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.80 ¥12.19

41.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.30 ¥8.77

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.46 ¥9.90

38.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.32

$1.20 ¥8.15

121.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.76 ¥5.14

139.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$0.88 ¥5.93

113.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.18

$0.57 ¥3.86

136.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.54 ¥3.63

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.55

$3.42 ¥23.17

85.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.02

$11.75 ¥79.5

-51.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$0.80 ¥5.40

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.85

$1.62 ¥10.95

30.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.50

$0.43 ¥2.94

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.11 €30.67

$20.47 ¥139

71.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 €3.99

$1.36 ¥9.24

235.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.13

$0.35 ¥2.39

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.70 €23.33

$6.50 ¥43.97

310.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.12 ¥7.59

61.61%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

101.58%

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

$30.6K €26.7K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

81.56%

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

$153 €133

$51.7 ¥350

195.03%

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

$20.36 €17.79

$10.17 ¥68.8

100.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.00 €29.71

$11.16 ¥75.5

204.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.05

$39.62 ¥268

21.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 €14.10

$14.53 ¥98.3

11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.37 €8.19

$6.38 ¥43.19

46.87%

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

$520 €454

$407 ¥2,756

27.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,888

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-42.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €75.1

$45.53 ¥308

88.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 €32.11

$32.31 ¥219

13.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 €80.1

$72.6 ¥491

26.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.7

$74.4 ¥504

45.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 €911

$443 ¥2,996

135.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €729

$258 ¥1,747

222.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 €1,462

$910 ¥6,162

83.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,069

$543 ¥3,677

125.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,633

$4,934 ¥33.4K

-15.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,629 €2,297

$2,398 ¥16.2K

9.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,965 €1,717

$1,065 ¥7,205

84.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

4.06

-13.55%

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

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $897 in Spain, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,607 in Madrid vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,989 in Spain, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 213% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 152% more in Spain.

Public transport is 83% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 133% 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 $862 per month in China and $2,154 in Spain, there's a 150% 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.