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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $507 in Huancayo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $828 in Huancayo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,148 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 82% above, Huancayo is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$2.44 PEN 8.17

653.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$33.10 PEN 111

109.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$7.11 PEN 23.85

98.73%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.32 PEN 11.15

-5.72%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.12 PEN 3.75

169.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.67 PEN 2.25

192.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.73 PEN 9.16

46.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$4.53 PEN 15.17

5.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.22 PEN 4.08

2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.07 PEN 3.59

101.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.33 PEN 4.47

27.07%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.48 PEN 8.33

98.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$5.40 PEN 18.10

231.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$5.92 PEN 19.84

62.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$5.37 PEN 18.00

260.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.52 PEN 5.11

113.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.07 PEN 3.58

103.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.56 PEN 1.89

376.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.16 PEN 3.90

138.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.86 PEN 2.90

156.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.91 PEN 3.06

140.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.62 PEN 2.08

145.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.86 PEN 2.88

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$5.96 PEN 19.99

19.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$5.39 PEN 18.07

51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.90 PEN 6.38

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.29 PEN 11.04

-15.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.61 PEN 2.05

416.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$18.06 PEN 60.6

49.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.95 PEN 6.53

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.11 PEN 7.08

-28.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$7.29 PEN 24.43

378.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.51 PEN 5.05

15.89%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$22.2K PEN 74.4K

65.13%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$26.1K PEN 87.5K

18.56%

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

$188 €161

$35.51 PEN 119

428.39%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$12.11 PEN 40.61

27.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$11.75 PEN 39.41

221.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$7.64 PEN 25.63

51.57%

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

$1,003 €863

$185 PEN 620

442.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$13.3K PEN 44.6K

27.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$53.7 PEN 180

66.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$36.05 PEN 121

13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$85.5 PEN 287

28.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$80.0 PEN 268

53.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$331 PEN 1,110

405.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.94

-64.65%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Huancayo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $331 in Huancayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Huancayo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $166 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 ($2,495 vs $507 including rent). Huancayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $760 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $331 in Huancayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $185 in Huancayo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $507 in Huancayo versus $2,495 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.