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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $823 in Hawassa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,230 in Hawassa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,637 in Hawassa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 187% more expensive than in Hawassa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Hawassa is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.46 ETB 713

284.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$34.65 ETB 5,534

96.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.53 ETB 1,044

108.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.28 ETB 205

117.19%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.64 ETB 103

340.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.44 ETB 69.8

345.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.02 ETB 163

334.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.06 ETB 488

50.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.39 ETB 223

-8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.33 ETB 213

60.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.99 ETB 158

101.01%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.58 ETB 253

113.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.01 ETB 1,119

170.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$13.95 ETB 2,227

-31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$13.27 ETB 2,118

41.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$6.81 ETB 1,088

-61.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.03 ETB 165

128.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.28 ETB 364

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.00 ETB 159

173.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.63 ETB 100

211.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.91 ETB 306

-5.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.70 ETB 112

115.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.63 ETB 101

41.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.88 ETB 620

74.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$5.46 ETB 871

45.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.00 ETB 159

37.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.92 ETB 307

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.50 ETB 240

205.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.27 ETB 42.71

655.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$1.97 ETB 314

1357.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.30 ETB 208

40.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-27.57%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$54.5K ETB 8.7M

-40.42%

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

$187 €162

$156 ETB 25.0K

19.29%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$11.85 ETB 1,892

88.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$130 ETB 20.7K

-72.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.61 ETB 895

91.98%

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

$725 €628

$82.5 ETB 13.2K

778.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$40.7K ETB 6.5M

-62.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$47.78 ETB 7,630

83.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$76.7 ETB 12.2K

-51.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$93.3 ETB 14.9K

10.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$113 ETB 18.0K

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$501 ETB 80.0K

946.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Hawassa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 187% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $823 including rent). Hawassa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,234 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 $725 in Barcelona versus $82.5 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $823 in Hawassa versus $2,359 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 187% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.