Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hengelo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hengelo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,275 in Hengelo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,458 in Hengelo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,641 in Hengelo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 4% more expensive than Hengelo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Hengelo 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$20.58 €17.73

-14.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$86.6 €74.6

-20.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$13.85 €11.93

1.52%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.98 €3.43

-30.15%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$4.08 €3.52

-31.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.76 €2.37

-25.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.91 €5.95

-35.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.88 €5.06

-21.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.26 €1.08

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.23 €1.92

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.01 €2.60

-36.21%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.55 €3.91

-27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.18 €12.21

29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$15.20 €13.09

-37.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$17.09 €14.72

12.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.44 €2.10

8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.54 €2.18

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.02 €1.74

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.88 €3.35

-26.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.95 €1.68

4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.94 €1.67

-4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.23 €1.06

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.73 €0.63

15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$14.03 €12.08

-49.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.29 €6.28

8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.43 €1.23

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.64 €2.27

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$5.29 €4.55

-43.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$94.0 €80.9

-68.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.59 €3.09

28.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.41 €2.07

-14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$27.15 €23.37

7.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.33 €2.01

-21.03%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.8K €29.1K

15.58%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$35.6K €30.7K

-8.26%

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

$188 €162

$286 €246

-34.34%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$26.69 €22.98

-14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$47.43 €40.84

-22.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$30.79 €26.51

86.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$23.49 €20.22

-11.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$16.11 €13.87

-30.54%

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

$721 €621

$1,096 €943

-34.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$11.2K €9,607

34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$113 €97.1

-23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$45.95 €39.57

-19.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$100 €86.3

1.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$130 €112

-10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,366 €1,176

12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$849 €731

43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,888 €1,626

42.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,515 €1,305

32.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$5,767 €4,966

25.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$4,723 €4,067

9.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,776 €2,391

-15.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.39

-22.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hengelo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,366 in Hengelo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hengelo pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $87.0 in Hengelo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $340 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 Hengelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hengelo differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,275 including rent). Hengelo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hengelo earns 18% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,366 in Hengelo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,096 in Hengelo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hengelo is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hengelo 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 Hengelo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.