Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Handan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Handan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $688 in Handan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,095 in Handan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,501 in Handan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 243% more expensive than in Handan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Handan is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$1.77 ¥11.93

868.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$20.52 ¥139

231.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.29 ¥28.94

217.95%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.99 ¥20.22

-7.02%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.36 ¥2.46

683.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.27 ¥1.80

625.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.87 ¥5.89

409.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.12 ¥14.28

117.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.85 ¥12.46

-31.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.54 ¥10.40

38.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.94 ¥6.37

111.70%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.63 ¥11.02

106.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.65 ¥85.4

49.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.10 ¥20.94

207.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.07 ¥68.0

86.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.79 ¥12.11

48.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.20 ¥8.13

95.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.37 ¥9.23

52.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.08 ¥7.28

152.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.71 ¥4.82

176.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.91 ¥6.12

98.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.61 ¥4.09

147.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.55 ¥3.74

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.21 ¥21.67

111.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$9.93 ¥67.0

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.80 ¥5.39

71.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.60 ¥10.79

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.27 ¥1.81

977.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$16.69 ¥113

71.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.42 ¥9.58

222.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.36 ¥2.41

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.72 ¥45.35

327.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.13 ¥7.62

61.06%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$19.0K ¥128.6K

106.41%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.0K ¥114.9K

90.74%

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

$187 €162

$45.38 ¥306

311.26%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$9.60 ¥64.8

132.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$11.69 ¥78.9

211.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.45 ¥280

38.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$13.75 ¥92.8

50.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.09 ¥41.13

76.85%

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

$725 €628

$334 ¥2,256

116.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$17.2K ¥116.4K

-12.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$43.27 ¥292

103.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$30.57 ¥206

20.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$72.4 ¥489

42.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$74.4 ¥502

59.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$276 ¥1,861

452.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$185 ¥1,247

564.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$583 ¥3,934

367.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$356 ¥2,401

457.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,255 ¥22.0K

129.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,008 ¥13.6K

161.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$639 ¥4,315

274.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Handan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $276 in Handan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 274% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Handan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $195 per month, with Handan cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Handan differ by about 243% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $688 including rent). Handan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 274% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $276 in Handan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $334 in Handan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $688 in Handan versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Handan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Handan 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Handan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Handan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.