Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hays, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Hays, KS: $1,778 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
Learn more

Hays, KS Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Hays, KS

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Hays, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,778 in Hays, KS.

Barcelona $2,443
Hays, KS $1,778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,517 in Hays, KS.

Barcelona $3,519
Hays, KS $2,517

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $3,256 in Hays, KS.

Barcelona $4,595
Hays, KS $3,256

Living in Barcelona is roughly 37% more expensive than in Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Hays, KS 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.71

$11.83 $11.83

49.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$41.42 $41.42

62.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.12

$8.10 $8.10

68.02%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$4.09 $4.09

-24.21%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.48 $2.48

20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$0.97 $0.97

98.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$3.82 $3.82

0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$4.13 $4.13

5.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.83 $0.83

50.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.22 $2.22

-4.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$4.30 $4.30

-54.19%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$2.05 $2.05

132.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.19

$4.37 $4.37

290.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$8.67 $8.67

3.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.38

$13.30 $13.30

55.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$6.36 $6.36

-50.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.65 $1.65

19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$5.99 $5.99

-55.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$4.37 $4.37

-34.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$3.79 $3.79

-45.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.19 $2.19

-0.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.94 $1.94

-21.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$1.94 $1.94

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.20

$9.49 $9.49

-26.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$11.97 $11.97

-34.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.15 $2.15

-33.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.90 $3.90

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$2.01 $2.01

64.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.79

$65.1 $65.1

-60.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.52 $2.52

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.53 $1.53

-3.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.25

$40.54 $40.54

-18.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.03 $1.03

81.55%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$28.2K $28.2K

16.98%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

20.29%

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

$183 €163

$273 $273

-33.12%

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

$14.24 €12.67

$34.81 $34.81

-59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.76

$63.2 $63.2

-45.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.76

$36.63 $36.63

40.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.58

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.85

$15.02 $15.02

-26.36%

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

$944 €840

$925 $925

1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$17.8K $17.8K

25.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$24.23 $24.23

261.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.51

$29.97 $29.97

29.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.0

$103 $103

1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$110 $110

6.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,510

$806 $806

110.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,190

$598 $598

123.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,396

$999 $999

169.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,848

$903 $903

130.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,367

$2,596 $2,596

175.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,520

$2,572 $2,572

97.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,995

$2,362 $2,362

-5.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.57

-51.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Hays, KS

$598 33.6% 55.3% $739

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Hays, KS

$329 18.5% 0.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Hays, KS

$209 11.8% 21.7% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Hays, KS

$371 20.9% 60.3% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Hays, KS

$120 6.8% 23.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Hays, KS

$67 3.8% 9.4% $6.9

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Hays, KS

$83 4.7% 69% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $806 in Hays, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hays, KS pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $41 in Hays, KS. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $329, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🕒 Local time

14:23 2:23 PM

07:23 7:23 AM

7 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

19,726

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Hays, KS 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Hays, KS

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,778 in Hays, KS, so Hays, KS is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $806 in Hays, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $925 in Hays, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hays, KS – a meal for two runs $41 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Hays, KS are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.