Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hastings Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hastings

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,812 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,678 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,544 in Hastings.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 37% more expensive than in Hastings, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Hastings 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.83

$11.75 NZ$20.10

56.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.6

$58.1 NZ$99.4

19.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.07

$9.65 NZ$16.50

45.60%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$3.36 NZ$5.74

-7.44%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$1.94 NZ$3.32

52.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.52 NZ$2.60

28.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$4.69 NZ$8.03

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$6.04 NZ$10.34

-23.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.82 NZ$3.11

-27.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.23 NZ$3.81

-5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.86 NZ$3.17

-1.61%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$5.98 NZ$10.23

-13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.09

$7.97 NZ$13.63

120.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$10.30 NZ$17.62

-7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.13

$12.44 NZ$21.28

60.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$2.75 NZ$4.70

15.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.10 NZ$3.59

5.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$3.28 NZ$5.61

-20.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.60 NZ$6.17

-20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.85 NZ$3.17

17.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.10 NZ$1.88

91.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.50 NZ$2.57

8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.96 NZ$1.65

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$18.38 NZ$31.45

-60.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$9.55 NZ$16.34

-12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.39 NZ$5.80

-55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.88 NZ$4.93

-4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.97 NZ$5.08

5.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.56

$88.4 NZ$151

-70.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.99 NZ$3.40

61.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.91 NZ$3.26

-20.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.30

$35.70 NZ$61.1

-1.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.65 NZ$2.83

6.06%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$26.1K NZ$44.7K

40.22%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$23.7K NZ$40.5K

33.87%

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

$187 €161

$202 NZ$346

-7.36%

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

$15.10 €12.97

$33.62 NZ$57.5

-55.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.31

$55.0 NZ$94.1

-31.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.68

$29.69 NZ$50.8

86.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.38

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.06

$10.68 NZ$18.27

9.64%

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

$1,011 €869

$1,112 NZ$1,901

-9.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$13.4K NZ$22.9K

27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.5

$49.74 NZ$85.1

83.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.23

$29.80 NZ$51.0

37.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.0

$105 NZ$179

5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$94.3 NZ$161

33.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,464

$836 NZ$1,430

103.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$747 NZ$1,278

73.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,224

$1,660 NZ$2,840

55.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,658

$1,214 NZ$2,076

58.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,644

$4,996 NZ$8,547

54.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,626

$3,474 NZ$5,943

54.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,040

$1,650 NZ$2,822

43.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.39

-41.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hastings: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $836 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 44% 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 $58.0 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $309 per month, with Hastings 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 Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hastings differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,812 including rent). Hastings is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $836 in Hastings. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $1,112 in Hastings. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,812 in Hastings versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hastings but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hastings 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 Hastings 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 Hastings gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.