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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $823 in Hawassa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,195 in Hawassa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,567 in Hawassa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 201% more expensive than in Hawassa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Hawassa is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.01 ETB 645

367.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$42.04 ETB 6,754

65.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.38 ETB 1,026

115.83%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$0.91 ETB 146

240.66%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.62 ETB 100

356.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.68 ETB 109

176.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.79 ETB 127

403.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.23 ETB 359

103.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.06 ETB 170

19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.21 ETB 194

78.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.03 ETB 165

70.87%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.54 ETB 247

233.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.22 ETB 1,160

147.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.91 ETB 1,593

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$9.30 ETB 1,493

116.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$5.31 ETB 853

-38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.69 ETB 110

223.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.20 ETB 353

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.70 ETB 112

294.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.50 ETB 80.7

342.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.10 ETB 176

92.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.68 ETB 110

127.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.57 ETB 92.4

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.89 ETB 1,267

-6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$5.74 ETB 922

40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.66 ETB 106

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.23 ETB 198

126.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.29 ETB 208

153.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.29 ETB 46.75

410.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$2.03 ETB 326

1588.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.97 ETB 156

78.35%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$55.1K ETB 8.9M

-34.00%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$54.6K ETB 8.8M

-44.09%

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

$187 €163

$203 ETB 32.7K

-8.00%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$7.42 ETB 1,191

104.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$210 ETB 33.7K

-82.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$3.68 ETB 592

210.05%

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

$997 €869

$134 ETB 21.6K

641.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

-45.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$33.25 ETB 5,342

178.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$71.7 ETB 11.5K

-42.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$78.8 ETB 12.7K

41.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$83.8 ETB 13.5K

49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$497 ETB 79.9K

938.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

18.5

-82.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Hawassa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $206 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 201% in total monthly costs ($2,476 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 $3,714 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 $997 in Barcelona versus $134 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 $42.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $823 in Hawassa versus $2,476 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 201% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.