Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Liuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Liuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $755 in Liuzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,194 in Liuzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,634 in Liuzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 228% more expensive than in Liuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.70 ¥18.10

594.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$22.23 ¥149

212.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.23 ¥35.00

163.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.78 ¥18.64

11.51%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.46 ¥3.07

515.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 ¥2.11

506.45%

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

$2.15 ¥14.42

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.81 ¥12.11

-29.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.67 ¥11.16

29.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.95 ¥6.35

85.26%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.57 ¥10.50

226.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.38 ¥89.6

33.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.31 ¥22.20

191.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.22 ¥75.1

79.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.53 ¥10.23

112.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.90 ¥6.05

147.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.54 ¥10.32

68.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.24 ¥8.33

122.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.74 ¥4.94

198.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.83 ¥5.54

155.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.60 ¥3.99

158.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.57 ¥3.85

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.82 ¥25.59

92.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.72 ¥78.5

-31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.85 ¥5.68

81.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.62 ¥10.86

72.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.29 ¥1.93

972.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$17.61 ¥118

46.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.46 ¥9.79

123.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.33 ¥2.19

348.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$7.02 ¥47.02

388.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.35 ¥9.06

28.15%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.6K ¥131.5K

85.25%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$17.3K ¥115.8K

76.67%

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

$187 €163

$55.9 ¥374

234.67%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$8.72 ¥58.4

73.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$11.33 ¥75.9

232.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$80.9 ¥542

-30.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$14.99 ¥100

13.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.21 ¥41.58

83.74%

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

$997 €869

$422 ¥2,823

136.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$16.8K ¥112.8K

-1.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$43.38 ¥291

113.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.19 ¥222

24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$73.2 ¥490

52.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$75.5 ¥506

65.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$238 ¥1,591

618.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$186 ¥1,244

592.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$420 ¥2,816

510.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$317 ¥2,123

512.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,144 ¥21.1K

143.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,907 ¥12.8K

171.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$588 ¥3,936

299.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.38

-6.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $238 in Liuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 300% 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 $22.00 in Liuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $205 per month, with Liuzhou 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 Liuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Liuzhou differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $755 including rent). Liuzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 300% 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 $238 in Liuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $422 in Liuzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $755 in Liuzhou versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Liuzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Liuzhou 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 Liuzhou 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 Liuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.