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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $476 in Huancayo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $804 in Huancayo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,133 in Huancayo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 398% more expensive than Huancayo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Huancayo is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.20 PEN 7.49

699.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$33.86 PEN 115

102.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.99 PEN 23.78

101.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.53 PEN 8.59

9.88%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.99 PEN 3.38

182.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.66 PEN 2.25

212.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.23 PEN 7.59

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.80 PEN 12.91

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.14 PEN 3.88

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.92 PEN 3.14

120.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.32 PEN 4.49

45.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.32 PEN 7.89

42.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$5.04 PEN 17.14

265.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.44 PEN 18.52

74.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$4.88 PEN 16.61

292.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.37 PEN 4.65

92.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.12 PEN 3.80

118.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$0.57 PEN 1.96

271.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.09 PEN 3.72

161.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.81 PEN 2.76

151.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.80 PEN 2.73

131.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.57 PEN 1.95

157.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 PEN 2.77

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$5.54 PEN 18.85

28.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$5.32 PEN 18.10

48.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.70 PEN 5.77

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.96 PEN 10.07

-21.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.53 PEN 1.81

462.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$16.51 PEN 56.2

77.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.76 PEN 5.98

161.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.18 PEN 7.42

-5.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$8.54 PEN 29.05

241.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.31 PEN 4.46

40.46%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.7K PEN 66.9K

98.38%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$24.8K PEN 84.5K

31.67%

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

$188 €162

$33.15 PEN 113

466.58%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$10.94 PEN 37.21

109.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$11.00 PEN 37.42

233.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.84 PEN 23.27

63.60%

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

$721 €620

$217 PEN 737

232.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$7,980 PEN 27.1K

88.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$49.90 PEN 170

72.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$36.52 PEN 124

1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$90.9 PEN 309

12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$88.0 PEN 299

31.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$302 PEN 1,028

407.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Huancayo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $302 in Huancayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Huancayo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $155 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 398% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $476 including rent). Huancayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $713 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $302 in Huancayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $217 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 $476 in Huancayo versus $2,367 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 398% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.