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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $728 in Liuzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,126 in Liuzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,524 in Liuzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 225% more expensive than Liuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Liuzhou is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$2.60 ¥17.61

576.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$15.49 ¥105

341.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$3.73 ¥25.21

276.94%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.31 ¥22.40

-16.01%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.50 ¥3.35

460.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.25 ¥1.70

724.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$0.87 ¥5.88

412.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.07 ¥14.03

122.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.62 ¥10.94

-23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$2.11 ¥14.29

-3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.76 ¥11.92

9.09%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.46 ¥9.86

126.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$12.67 ¥85.7

45.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.38 ¥22.85

180.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$11.00 ¥74.4

74.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.71 ¥11.57

54.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.03 ¥6.99

137.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.41 ¥9.51

50.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.13 ¥14.38

33.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.67 ¥4.54

204.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.90 ¥6.09

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.84 ¥5.72

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.09 ¥7.40

-22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$3.66 ¥24.79

95.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$11.95 ¥80.8

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.84 ¥5.68

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.72 ¥18.40

-15.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.29 ¥1.96

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$16.95 ¥115

72.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.41 ¥9.52

226.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.26 ¥1.74

696.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$6.83 ¥46.23

327.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.27 ¥8.62

44.88%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$15.4K ¥104.0K

153.79%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$13.0K ¥87.9K

151.66%

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

$188 €163

$46.14 ¥312

307.07%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$9.98 ¥67.5

129.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$10.42 ¥70.5

252.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$76.7 ¥519

-25.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$14.17 ¥95.9

46.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$4.99 ¥33.78

124.25%

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

$721 €625

$230 ¥1,553

213.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

-11.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$37.87 ¥256

127.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$22.56 ¥153

64.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$60.2 ¥407

69.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$52.4 ¥355

121.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$221 ¥1,496

593.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$171 ¥1,155

614.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$386 ¥2,612

598.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$297 ¥2,011

577.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$3,155 ¥21.3K

128.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$1,774 ¥12.0K

192.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$585 ¥3,957

303.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.87

-12.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $221 in Liuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 303% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $15.00 in Liuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $223 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 225% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $728 including rent). Liuzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 303% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $221 in Liuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $230 in Liuzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $728 in Liuzhou versus $2,367 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 225% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.