Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawassa and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawassa and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $823 in Hawassa versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

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

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

Living in Hawassa costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 ETB 645

$18.74 €16.33

-78.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.04 ETB 6,754

$69.5 €60.6

-39.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 ETB 1,026

$13.77 €12.00

-53.67%

Cappuccino

$0.91 ETB 146

$3.10 €2.70

-70.65%

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

$0.62 ETB 100

$2.83 €2.47

-78.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$1.88 €1.64

-63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.79 ETB 127

$3.98 €3.47

-80.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ETB 359

$4.53 €3.95

-50.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 ETB 170

$1.27 €1.11

-16.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ETB 194

$2.16 €1.88

-43.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ETB 165

$1.76 €1.53

-41.48%

Eggs

$1.54 ETB 247

$5.13 €4.47

-69.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 ETB 1,160

$17.88 €15.59

-59.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 ETB 1,593

$9.65 €8.41

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 ETB 1,493

$20.15 €17.56

-53.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 ETB 853

$3.25 €2.84

63.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ETB 110

$2.23 €1.94

-69.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ETB 353

$2.60 €2.27

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 ETB 112

$2.76 €2.40

-74.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 80.7

$2.21 €1.93

-77.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ETB 176

$2.12 €1.85

-48.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ETB 110

$1.55 €1.35

-56.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ETB 92.4

$0.95 €0.83

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 ETB 1,267

$7.34 €6.40

7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.74 ETB 922

$8.05 €7.01

-28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ETB 106

$1.54 €1.35

-57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ETB 198

$2.79 €2.43

-55.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ETB 208

$3.27 €2.85

-60.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 46.75

$1.48 €1.29

-80.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ETB 326

$34.27 €29.88

-94.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 ETB 156

$1.73 €1.51

-43.93%

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

$55.1K ETB 8.9M

$36.4K €31.7K

51.51%

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

$54.6K ETB 8.8M

$30.5K €26.6K

78.87%

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

$203 ETB 32.7K

$187 €163

8.69%

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

$7.42 ETB 1,191

$15.14 €13.20

-50.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$210 ETB 33.7K

$37.69 €32.85

456.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 ETB 592

$11.41 €9.95

-67.75%

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

$134 ETB 21.6K

$997 €869

-86.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

$16.5K €14.4K

84.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.25 ETB 5,342

$92.6 €80.8

-64.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.7 ETB 11.5K

$41.22 €35.93

73.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ETB 12.7K

$111 €96.9

-29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ETB 13.5K

$125 €109

-33.03%

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)

$497 ETB 79.9K

$5,167 €4,504

-90.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

3.16

485.44%

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

Last update for Hawassa: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Hawassa vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $336 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

Hawassa vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hawassa and Barcelona differ by about 201% in total monthly costs ($823 vs $2,476 including rent). Hawassa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,234 in Hawassa and $3,714 in Barcelona 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 $134 in Hawassa versus $997 in Barcelona. 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, Hawassa 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 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.