Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhanjiang and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhanjiang: $724 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zhanjiang
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Zhanjiang Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Zhanjiang

🇨🇳 China

$724

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhanjiang and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $724 in Zhanjiang versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Zhanjiang $724
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,154 in Zhanjiang versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Zhanjiang $1,154
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,583 in Zhanjiang versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Zhanjiang $1,583
Barcelona $4,564

Living in Zhanjiang costs roughly 70% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zhanjiang is 47% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ¥18.78

$17.59 €15.69

-83.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ¥155

$67.5 €60.2

-65.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 ¥32.63

$13.53 €12.07

-63.64%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ¥18.67

$3.19 €2.85

-11.91%

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

$0.43 ¥2.85

$2.91 €2.60

-85.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$1.89 €1.69

-85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.00

$4.01 €3.58

-69.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥13.85

$4.53 €4.04

-53.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ¥13.51

$1.31 €1.16

55.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.26

$2.02 €1.80

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.68

$1.85 €1.65

-45.41%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.58

$4.83 €4.31

-67.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 ¥84.2

$16.74 €14.93

-24.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥21.99

$9.12 €8.14

-63.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 ¥80.3

$19.64 €17.52

-38.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.66

$2.98 €2.66

-35.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.88

$2.02 €1.80

-33.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$2.70 €2.41

-51.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$2.80 €2.50

-52.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.09 €1.86

-69.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.90

$2.07 €1.85

-49.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.95

$1.46 €1.30

-58.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.94 €0.84

-36.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ¥23.56

$6.87 €6.13

-48.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 ¥71.0

$7.89 €7.04

35.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.68

$1.41 €1.25

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.39

$2.54 €2.26

-38.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$3.14 €2.80

-90.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.25 ¥121

$25.45 €22.70

-28.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.36

$2.99 €2.67

-52.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.32

$1.49 €1.33

-76.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 ¥54.8

$33.37 €29.78

-75.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.27

$1.80 €1.60

-30.56%

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

$19.7K ¥130.7K

$33.2K €29.6K

-40.66%

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

$15.8K ¥104.7K

$31.7K €28.3K

-50.25%

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

$49.47 ¥328

$180 €161

-72.58%

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

$8.14 ¥54.0

$13.84 €12.35

-41.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 ¥78.1

$33.70 €30.06

-65.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.09 ¥240

$51.5 €45.96

-29.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 ¥91.4

$15.96 €14.24

-13.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ¥43.18

$10.99 €9.81

-40.76%

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

$375 ¥2,491

$917 €818

-59.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.2K

$16.5K €14.7K

19.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 ¥305

$87.0 €77.7

-47.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.62 ¥230

$38.51 €34.35

-10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ¥470

$106 €94.4

-33.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 ¥566

$120 €107

-28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,060

$1,699 €1,516

-81.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,210

$1,355 €1,209

-86.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 ¥3,485

$2,603 €2,322

-79.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ¥2,270

$2,062 €1,840

-83.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,013 ¥20.0K

$6,915 €6,169

-56.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,766 ¥11.7K

$5,128 €4,575

-65.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,972

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.28

2.44%

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

Last update for Zhanjiang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhanjiang

$210 29.1%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 52.9% $111

Accommodation & Living

Zhanjiang

$182 25.2%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 644% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Zhanjiang

$107 14.7%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 48.3% $51

Eating Out

Zhanjiang

$84 11.6%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 218% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhanjiang

$69 9.6%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 229% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Zhanjiang

$49 6.8%

Barcelona

$74 3% 49.7% $24

Getting Around

Zhanjiang

$23 3.1%

Barcelona

$48 2% 115% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Zhanjiang and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Zhanjiang vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $322 per month, with Zhanjiang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhanjiang

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

16:40 4:40 PM

7 h behind Zhanjiang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,612,000

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhanjiang Barcelona 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhanjiang
Barcelona

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

Zhanjiang vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $724 in Zhanjiang and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Zhanjiang is about 70% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,087 in Zhanjiang and $3,679 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $310 in Zhanjiang versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Zhanjiang versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $724 in Zhanjiang versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zhanjiang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhanjiang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Zhanjiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.