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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,438 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,261 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,084 in Hastings.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 65% more expensive than Hastings, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Hastings 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$12.19 NZ$20.77

44.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$81.4 NZ$139

-15.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.12 NZ$15.53

54.17%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.47 NZ$5.92

-19.88%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.78 NZ$3.04

57.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.07 NZ$3.53

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.96 NZ$10.15

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.30 NZ$12.44

-36.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.89 NZ$3.21

-34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.08 NZ$3.55

-2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.96 NZ$3.33

-2.04%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$6.12 NZ$10.42

-45.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.25 NZ$14.05

123.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.08 NZ$18.87

-14.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$12.72 NZ$21.66

50.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.73 NZ$4.64

-3.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.14 NZ$3.65

14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.99 NZ$5.09

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.81 NZ$8.20

-40.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.89 NZ$3.22

7.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.48 NZ$2.52

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.19 NZ$3.73

-32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.02 NZ$1.74

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$21.43 NZ$36.49

-66.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.53 NZ$16.23

-17.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.60 NZ$6.13

-61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.86 NZ$4.88

-19.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.52 NZ$4.29

18.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$61.0 NZ$104

-52.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.66 NZ$4.53

72.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.84 NZ$3.13

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$60.0 NZ$102

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.73 NZ$2.94

6.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$30.9K NZ$52.6K

26.38%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$21.4K NZ$36.4K

52.82%

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

$188 €162

$159 NZ$271

18.05%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$33.64 NZ$57.3

-31.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$51.8 NZ$88.2

-29.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$35.57 NZ$60.6

61.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$11.91 NZ$20.28

73.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.89 NZ$18.55

2.75%

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

$721 €621

$798 NZ$1,359

-9.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$13.0K NZ$22.1K

16.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$64.0 NZ$109

34.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$52.1 NZ$88.7

-28.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$114 NZ$194

-10.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$136 NZ$232

-14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$403 NZ$686

280.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$344 NZ$586

254.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,069 NZ$1,820

152.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$596 NZ$1,015

237.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,661 NZ$2,828

42.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.94

-51.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hastings: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $403 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 42% 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 $81.0 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $325 per month, with Barcelona 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 65% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,438 including rent). Hastings is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 42% 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 $403 in Hastings. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $798 in Hastings. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,438 in Hastings versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 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 65% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.