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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $691 in Handan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,111 in Handan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,531 in Handan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 239% more expensive than Handan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Handan is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$1.77 ¥12.12

894.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$20.83 ¥143

229.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.14 ¥28.37

232.13%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.93 ¥20.07

-5.80%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.37 ¥2.51

651.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.27 ¥1.84

659.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$0.95 ¥6.52

385.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.14 ¥14.68

114.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.78 ¥12.20

-28.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.59 ¥10.86

32.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.96 ¥6.54

105.21%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.64 ¥11.20

109.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$13.07 ¥89.5

44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.19 ¥21.83

196.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.17 ¥69.7

86.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.81 ¥12.36

50.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.24 ¥8.51

91.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.42 ¥9.73

46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.14 ¥7.83

142.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.67 ¥4.56

194.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.93 ¥6.35

92.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.57 ¥3.88

164.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.54 ¥3.70

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.22 ¥22.03

109.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.04 ¥68.8

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.80 ¥5.48

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.59 ¥10.88

51.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.27 ¥1.84

1022.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$16.41 ¥112

73.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.37 ¥9.36

223.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.36 ¥2.44

469.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.81 ¥46.64

330.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.12 ¥7.66

68.75%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$19.1K ¥130.9K

102.74%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$16.6K ¥113.6K

95.14%

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

$189 €161

$46.67 ¥320

304.09%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$10.08 ¥69.0

120.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$11.77 ¥80.7

212.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$41.90 ¥287

38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$14.19 ¥97.2

47.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.22 ¥42.60

77.65%

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

$726 €622

$334 ¥2,286

117.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$16.7K ¥114.1K

-8.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$43.78 ¥300

101.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$30.48 ¥209

21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$72.8 ¥499

40.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$75.1 ¥514

58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$274 ¥1,880

456.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$184 ¥1,259

562.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$591 ¥4,048

372.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$365 ¥2,498

455.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,417 ¥23.4K

107.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,243 ¥15.4K

116.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$743 ¥5,088

223.70%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Handan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $274 in Handan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 224% 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 $21.00 in Handan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $197 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 239% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $691 including rent). Handan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 224% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $274 in Handan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Handan versus $2,341 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 239% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.