Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Hastings versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,526 in Hastings versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,467 in Hastings versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Hastings is roughly 11% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hastings 93% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.98

$17.66 €15.45

14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 £58.5

$69.7 €61.0

12.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 £8.58

$14.16 €12.39

-18.57%

Cappuccino

$4.49 £3.34

$2.80 €2.45

60.36%

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

$2.69 £2.00

$2.81 €2.46

-4.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$2.06 €1.81

-35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 £5.17

$4.60 €4.02

51.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 £4.92

$4.69 €4.10

41.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 £0.52

$1.23 €1.08

-43.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$2.03 €1.78

-32.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$1.98 €1.73

35.86%

Eggs

$3.30 £2.45

$3.49 €3.05

-5.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 £7.10

$18.33 €16.04

-47.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £6.97

$9.83 €8.60

-4.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 £10.21

$19.13 €16.73

-28.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$2.73 €2.38

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.38 €2.09

-31.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 £1.77

$2.08 €1.82

14.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 £2.58

$2.75 €2.41

26.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.96 €1.72

-6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.79 €1.57

-32.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$1.48 €1.29

-36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$0.91 €0.80

153.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.34 £12.89

$7.13 €6.24

143.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 £4.84

$7.88 €6.89

-17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.15

$1.38 €1.21

109.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 £2.50

$2.39 €2.09

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.99

$3.01 €2.63

-11.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 £67.8

$29.35 €25.68

210.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 £3.84

$4.36 €3.82

18.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$2.13 €1.86

-18.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.35 £30.76

$29.60 €25.90

39.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.82 €1.59

3.30%

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

$20.2K £15.0K

$37.9K €33.1K

-46.71%

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

$33.1K £24.6K

$32.4K €28.3K

2.19%

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

$340 £253

$189 €165

79.81%

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

$18.36 £13.65

$22.29 €19.50

-17.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 £20.53

$37.16 €32.51

-25.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.98 £33.45

$58.0 €50.8

-22.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.08 £35.02

$20.66 €18.08

127.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 £8.92

$10.87 €9.51

10.30%

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

$1,559 £1,159

$706 €618

120.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$14.9K €13.0K

21.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 £59.5

$89.4 €78.3

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 £30.86

$36.60 €32.02

13.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.3

$104 €91.0

12.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 £108

$119 €104

21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 £1,131

$1,579 €1,381

-3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 £951

$1,238 €1,083

3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 £1,492

$2,712 €2,373

-26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 £1,123

$2,039 €1,784

-25.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K £10.0K

$7,527 €6,585

78.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 £2,454

$2,364 €2,068

39.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

3.39

65.78%

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

Last update for Hastings: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Hastings and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Hastings vs $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $320, with Hastings cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hastings vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings and Barcelona differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,584 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Hastings, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,520 in Hastings versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,559 in Hastings versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hastings pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,584 in Hastings, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Hastings. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Hastings and Barcelona 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.