Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Huancayo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Huancayo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $471 in Huancayo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $806 in Huancayo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in Huancayo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 393% more expensive than in Huancayo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Huancayo is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$2.25 PEN 7.63

684.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$33.57 PEN 114

107.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$7.09 PEN 24.05

99.72%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.62 PEN 8.90

6.87%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.94 PEN 3.18

198.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.66 PEN 2.23

212.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.27 PEN 7.72

102.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.81 PEN 12.91

23.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.08 PEN 3.66

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.94 PEN 3.20

115.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.29 PEN 4.38

53.49%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.30 PEN 7.80

51.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$5.10 PEN 17.29

259.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$5.59 PEN 18.95

75.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$5.09 PEN 17.26

275.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.35 PEN 4.59

102.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.08 PEN 3.66

120.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.54 PEN 1.83

285.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.09 PEN 3.70

152.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.85 PEN 2.88

130.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.81 PEN 2.76

120.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.59 PEN 1.99

150.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.86 PEN 2.90

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$5.43 PEN 18.42

31.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$5.20 PEN 17.64

51.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.71 PEN 5.80

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.00 PEN 10.16

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.54 PEN 1.84

457.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$16.38 PEN 55.6

79.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.84 PEN 6.23

136.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.19 PEN 7.43

-2.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$8.51 PEN 28.88

247.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.36 PEN 4.61

33.82%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$19.7K PEN 67.0K

91.92%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$24.6K PEN 83.6K

31.38%

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

$189 €165

$32.83 PEN 111

475.78%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$11.16 PEN 37.86

99.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$11.05 PEN 37.49

236.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.79 PEN 23.03

60.09%

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

$706 €618

$216 PEN 734

226.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,090 PEN 27.4K

83.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$50.1 PEN 170

78.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$36.36 PEN 123

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$90.3 PEN 306

15.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$89.5 PEN 304

33.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$305 PEN 1,036

416.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.11

-66.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Huancayo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $305 in Huancayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Huancayo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $156 per month, with Huancayo 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 Huancayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Huancayo differ by about 393% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $471 including rent). Huancayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $706 in Huancayo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $305 in Huancayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $216 in Huancayo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $471 in Huancayo versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Huancayo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Huancayo 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 Huancayo 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 Huancayo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 393% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.