Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Heyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Heyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $746 in Heyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,180 in Heyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,614 in Heyuan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 210% more expensive than in Heyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Heyuan is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.07

$2.83 ¥19.18

507.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$15.02 ¥102

370.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$4.26 ¥28.82

229.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.11 ¥14.27

31.75%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.33 ¥2.26

742.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.22 ¥1.49

831.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$0.68 ¥4.58

564.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$1.71 ¥11.57

173.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.97 ¥13.33

-34.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.08 ¥14.04

2.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.24 ¥8.41

55.65%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$1.51 ¥10.19

131.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.24

$18.72 ¥127

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$4.50 ¥30.45

111.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.57

$14.06 ¥95.1

34.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$2.09 ¥14.17

25.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.20 ¥8.14

95.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.94 ¥13.11

7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.42 ¥9.61

100.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.88 ¥5.97

122.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.09 ¥7.34

69.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.56 ¥3.81

173.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.64 ¥4.35

40.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$3.90 ¥26.35

73.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$12.06 ¥81.6

-35.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.95 ¥6.45

45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.41 ¥9.53

64.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.29 ¥1.97

934.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.10

$16.80 ¥114

70.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.72 ¥11.61

166.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.34 ¥2.33

526.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.91

$6.30 ¥42.63

369.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.14 ¥7.69

57.89%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$20.6K ¥139.5K

86.41%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$19.4K ¥131.1K

71.67%

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

$185 €162

$60.6 ¥410

204.97%

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

$22.68 €19.89

$13.19 ¥89.2

71.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.25

$11.56 ¥78.2

218.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$42.19 ¥285

36.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.58

$13.83 ¥93.6

53.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$6.49 ¥43.91

66.87%

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

$727 €637

$319 ¥2,156

128.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$16.3K ¥110.3K

-9.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$40.29 ¥273

117.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.76

$28.40 ¥192

31.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$68.9 ¥466

49.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$61.1 ¥414

94.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,368

$282 ¥1,906

453.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$190 ¥1,287

542.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,404

$584 ¥3,952

369.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,746

$360 ¥2,438

452.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,567

$2,831 ¥19.1K

164.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,566

$1,929 ¥13.1K

169.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,064

$1,340 ¥9,068

75.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.08

-16.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Heyuan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $282 in Heyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Heyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $251 per month, with Heyuan 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 Heyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Heyuan differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $746 including rent). Heyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $282 in Heyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $319 in Heyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Heyuan versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Heyuan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Heyuan 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 Heyuan 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 Heyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.