Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hawassa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hawassa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $822 in Hawassa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,230 in Hawassa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,638 in Hawassa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 185% more expensive than Hawassa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Hawassa is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.41 ETB 689

299.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$35.09 ETB 5,484

95.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.58 ETB 1,029

108.97%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.23 ETB 193

124.39%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.64 ETB 100

334.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.43 ETB 67.5

376.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.02 ETB 160

351.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.97 ETB 464

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.39 ETB 218

-7.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.34 ETB 209

57.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.03 ETB 161

91.26%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.60 ETB 251

115.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.21 ETB 1,127

161.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$13.92 ETB 2,175

-32.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$13.28 ETB 2,075

43.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$6.76 ETB 1,057

-59.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.97 ETB 152

144.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.16 ETB 338

-3.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$0.90 ETB 141

206.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.67 ETB 105

194.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.91 ETB 299

-6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.68 ETB 107

122.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.63 ETB 98.1

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.02 ETB 629

68.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$5.76 ETB 900

31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.00 ETB 156

44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.84 ETB 288

30.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.49 ETB 233

197.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.27 ETB 42.05

659.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.05 ETB 320

1330.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.24 ETB 194

52.42%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$55.1K ETB 8.6M

-29.71%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$53.0K ETB 8.3M

-38.95%

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

$189 €161

$158 ETB 24.7K

19.33%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$11.98 ETB 1,872

85.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$131 ETB 20.5K

-71.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.54 ETB 866

99.46%

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

$726 €622

$81.7 ETB 12.8K

789.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$40.9K ETB 6.4M

-62.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$47.79 ETB 7,470

84.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$75.0 ETB 11.7K

-50.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$92.5 ETB 14.5K

10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$116 ETB 18.2K

2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$503 ETB 78.5K

864.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-80.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Hawassa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $258 per month, with Hawassa 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 Hawassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hawassa differ by about 185% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $822 including rent). Hawassa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,232 in Hawassa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $81.7 in Hawassa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hawassa – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $822 in Hawassa versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hawassa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hawassa 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 Hawassa 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 Hawassa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.