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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,230 in Hengelo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,402 in Hengelo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,573 in Hengelo.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Hengelo 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$20.47 €17.93

-13.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$85.3 €74.7

-18.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$13.92 €12.19

1.72%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.13 €3.62

-32.20%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.99 €3.49

-29.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.88 €2.52

-28.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$6.91 €6.05

-33.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.81 €5.09

-19.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.25 €1.10

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.32 €2.03

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.09 €2.70

-35.92%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.54 €3.97

-23.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.05 €12.30

30.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$15.76 €13.80

-37.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$16.47 €14.43

16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.35 €2.06

16.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.48 €2.17

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.01 €1.76

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.85 €3.37

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.04 €1.79

-3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.97 €1.73

-9.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.25 €1.10

18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.77 €0.67

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$14.27 €12.50

-50.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.92 €6.06

13.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.40 €1.23

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.74 €2.40

-12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$5.30 €4.64

-43.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$92.8 €81.3

-68.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.65 €3.20

19.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.48 €2.17

-14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$26.67 €23.36

10.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.31 €2.02

-21.21%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.3K €30.0K

10.55%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$36.7K €32.1K

-11.76%

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

$189 €166

$293 €257

-35.56%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$26.35 €23.07

-15.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$47.02 €41.18

-20.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$31.35 €27.45

85.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$22.82 €19.99

-9.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$15.64 €13.70

-30.50%

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

$706 €618

$1,111 €973

-36.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.8K €9,485

37.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$113 €98.9

-20.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$46.57 €40.78

-21.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$97.3 €85.2

6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$128 €112

-6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,333 €1,168

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$873 €764

41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,839 €1,611

47.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,532 €1,341

33.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$5,408 €4,736

39.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$4,577 €4,009

14.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,687 €2,353

-12.02%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hengelo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,333 in Hengelo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hengelo pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $85.0 in Hengelo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $341 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 ($2,320 vs $2,230 including rent). Hengelo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Hengelo. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,333 in Hengelo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $1,111 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.

At $2,230 in Hengelo versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hengelo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hengelo 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 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.