Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hefei Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hefei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $776 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,235 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,694 in Hefei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 221% more expensive than in Hefei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Hefei is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$2.46 ¥16.48

647.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$22.01 ¥148

214.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$4.51 ¥30.25

213.30%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.71 ¥18.13

15.50%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.53 ¥3.53

469.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.29 ¥1.95

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.02 ¥6.81

292.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$2.05 ¥13.75

132.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.62 ¥10.85

-22.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.95 ¥13.04

10.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.80 ¥5.38

111.25%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.83 ¥12.25

169.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$13.89 ¥93.1

28.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$4.91 ¥32.93

95.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$11.58 ¥77.6

67.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.22 ¥14.89

45.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.67 ¥11.19

30.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.71 ¥11.46

56.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.53 ¥10.23

81.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.82 ¥5.52

169.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.92 ¥6.18

138.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.85 ¥5.68

78.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.70 ¥4.67

31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.03 ¥20.29

134.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$11.86 ¥79.5

-31.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.92 ¥6.16

63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.97 ¥13.19

41.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.29 ¥1.93

986.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$45.35 ¥304

-40.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.18 ¥7.87

175.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.31 ¥2.11

383.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$3.47 ¥23.26

905.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.23 ¥8.27

42.28%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

91.22%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$16.7K ¥112.2K

84.74%

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

$188 €161

$49.41 ¥331

279.74%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$9.12 ¥61.1

69.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$11.74 ¥78.7

221.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$15.74 ¥105

263.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$15.29 ¥102

9.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$6.20 ¥41.53

86.77%

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

$1,003 €863

$244 ¥1,636

310.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$8,710 ¥58.4K

95.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$89.8 ¥602

-0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$32.55 ¥218

25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$63.2 ¥424

73.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$94.8 ¥635

29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$247 ¥1,655

577.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$182 ¥1,220

631.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$545 ¥3,654

376.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$334 ¥2,236

484.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,509 ¥23.5K

115.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,939 ¥13.0K

176.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,014 ¥6,796

136.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.15

0.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hefei: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $247 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 137% 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 $22.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $231 per month, with Hefei 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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hefei differ by about 221% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $776 including rent). Hefei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $247 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $244 in Hefei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $776 in Hefei versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei 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 Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.