Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Huizhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Huizhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $758 in Huizhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,172 in Huizhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,587 in Huizhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 227% more expensive than in Huizhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Huizhou is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.24 ¥15.03

736.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$18.07 ¥121

284.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.95 ¥33.17

178.18%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.04 ¥20.36

1.97%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.54 ¥3.63

424.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.29 ¥1.92

548.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.06 ¥7.12

275.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.60 ¥10.73

183.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.88 ¥12.59

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.56 ¥10.43

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.11 ¥7.42

58.56%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.56 ¥10.44

228.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.70 ¥51.6

132.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.24 ¥28.37

127.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.12 ¥81.2

66.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.77 ¥11.84

83.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.23 ¥8.24

81.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.24 ¥8.31

109.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.36 ¥9.12

102.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.00 ¥6.70

121.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.17 ¥7.84

81.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.66 ¥4.43

134.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.46 ¥3.07

106.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.91 ¥19.48

152.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.52 ¥70.5

-23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.06 ¥7.10

45.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.68 ¥11.24

66.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.31 ¥2.09

903.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$17.77 ¥119

45.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.02 ¥6.84

220.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.41 ¥2.73

260.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$3.69 ¥24.70

828.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.16 ¥7.75

49.14%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.1K ¥128.0K

90.35%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.5K ¥104.1K

96.46%

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

$187 €163

$48.82 ¥327

283.20%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$11.31 ¥75.8

33.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$10.15 ¥68.0

271.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$39.62 ¥265

41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$14.90 ¥99.8

14.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.53 ¥43.77

74.73%

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

$997 €869

$411 ¥2,752

142.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$21.0K ¥140.9K

-21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$49.21 ¥330

88.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$40.58 ¥272

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$83.3 ¥558

33.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$69.7 ¥467

79.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$211 ¥1,410

710.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$235 ¥1,571

448.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$395 ¥2,648

548.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$415 ¥2,780

367.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,223 ¥14.9K

244.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,185 ¥7,937

336.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$845 ¥5,663

177.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.4

-7.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Huizhou: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $211 in Huizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 178% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Huizhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $197 per month, with Huizhou 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 Huizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Huizhou differ by about 227% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $758 including rent). Huizhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $211 in Huizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $411 in Huizhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $758 in Huizhou versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Huizhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Huizhou 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 Huizhou 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 Huizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.