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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $649 in Handan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,023 in Handan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,397 in Handan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 281% more expensive than in Handan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Handan is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$1.90 ¥12.74

886.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$18.11 ¥121

283.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.40 ¥29.45

212.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.56 ¥17.15

21.09%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.43 ¥2.86

558.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.23 ¥1.55

717.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.75 ¥5.04

430.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.47 ¥9.83

208.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.58 ¥10.56

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.71 ¥4.78

204.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.77 ¥5.17

128.57%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$0.97 ¥6.50

428.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.72 ¥78.5

52.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.01 ¥20.15

220.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.31 ¥75.7

78.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.51 ¥10.12

115.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.57 ¥3.85

291.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.93 ¥12.94

34.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.33 ¥8.88

107.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.31 ¥2.10

612.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.31 ¥2.08

583.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.57 ¥3.82

171.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.36 ¥2.40

163.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.78 ¥25.31

94.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.28 ¥68.8

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.66 ¥4.44

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.36 ¥9.13

105.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.29 ¥1.93

972.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$17.79 ¥119

45.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.91 ¥6.08

259.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.31 ¥2.10

377.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$4.50 ¥30.12

661.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.20 ¥8.06

44.17%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.6K ¥130.9K

86.02%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$14.9K ¥99.6K

105.49%

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

$187 €163

$71.1 ¥476

163.20%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$4.55 ¥30.51

232.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$5.00 ¥33.50

653.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$40.83 ¥274

37.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$16.24 ¥109

5.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.53 ¥30.34

151.88%

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

$997 €869

$215 ¥1,441

363.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$19.8K ¥132.9K

-16.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$29.39 ¥197

215.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$41.71 ¥279

-1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$44.20 ¥296

151.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$70.1 ¥469

78.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$328 ¥2,198

420.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$170 ¥1,138

657.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$663 ¥4,443

286.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$346 ¥2,321

460.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,848 ¥19.1K

168.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,077 ¥13.9K

148.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$644 ¥4,313

264.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Handan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $328 in Handan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 265% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Handan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $174 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 281% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $649 including rent). Handan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 265% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $328 in Handan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $215 in Handan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Handan versus $2,476 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 281% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.