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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $735 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,184 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,634 in Hefei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 222% more expensive than Hefei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Hefei is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$3.44 ¥23.30

411.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$16.83 ¥114

306.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.15 ¥28.08

238.80%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.35 ¥15.89

18.30%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.47 ¥3.19

495.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.23 ¥1.56

795.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.82 ¥5.58

443.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.11 ¥14.29

118.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.69 ¥11.43

-26.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.61 ¥10.91

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.20 ¥8.11

60.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.91 ¥12.93

73.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.60 ¥58.2

114.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$4.07 ¥27.57

133.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$9.92 ¥67.1

93.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.80 ¥12.16

46.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.82 ¥5.57

198.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.28 ¥8.63

65.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.83 ¥5.59

243.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.60 ¥4.09

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.49 ¥3.29

277.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.53 ¥3.59

177.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 ¥3.76

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.81 ¥19.01

154.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.50 ¥64.3

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.72 ¥4.86

91.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.64 ¥11.13

40.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.33 ¥2.25

803.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$41.14 ¥278

-28.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.34 ¥9.08

243.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.26 ¥1.74

696.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$2.54 ¥17.21

1048.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.15 ¥7.81

60.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.6K ¥132.4K

99.48%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

70.62%

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

$188 €162

$40.99 ¥277

358.21%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$12.86 ¥87.1

78.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$13.70 ¥92.7

167.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$82.8 ¥561

-30.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$12.49 ¥84.6

65.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.81 ¥39.33

92.60%

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

$721 €621

$257 ¥1,742

180.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$8,920 ¥60.4K

68.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$57.9 ¥392

49.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.23 ¥205

22.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$60.9 ¥412

67.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$74.5 ¥504

55.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$229 ¥1,547

571.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$180 ¥1,220

577.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$484 ¥3,276

456.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$366 ¥2,479

449.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,744 ¥25.3K

92.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,044 ¥13.8K

153.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$962 ¥6,512

145.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.37

-22.43%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hefei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $229 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 145% 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 $17.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $182 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 222% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $735 including rent). Hefei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 145% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $229 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $257 in Hefei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $735 in Hefei versus $2,367 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 222% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.