Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilo, HI and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. The total is higher in Hilo, HI despite lower rent and utilities.

136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilo, HI and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,865 in Hilo, HI versus $2,443 in Barcelona.

Hilo, HI $2,865
Barcelona $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,388 in Hilo, HI versus $3,519 in Barcelona.

Hilo, HI $4,388
Barcelona $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,910 in Hilo, HI versus $4,595 in Barcelona.

Hilo, HI $5,910
Barcelona $4,595

Living in Hilo, HI is roughly 17% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilo, HI 112% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.66 €15.75

17.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$67.5 €60.2

18.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$13.61 €12.14

-10.58%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.10 €2.77

81.61%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$3.00 €2.68

-3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.93 €1.72

25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 $6.32

$3.84 €3.43

64.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 $7.57

$4.36 €3.89

73.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.25 €1.11

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$10.08 $10.08

$2.12 €1.90

375.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.97 €1.76

117.26%

Eggs

$7.07 $7.07

$4.76 €4.25

48.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.98 $19.98

$17.07 €15.22

17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$8.96 €7.99

96.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.15 $30.15

$20.65 €18.42

46.00%

Apples (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$3.16 €2.82

171.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.97 €1.75

21.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$2.65 €2.37

295.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$2.88 €2.57

323.96%

Potato (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$2.06 €1.84

338.83%

Onion (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.18 €1.95

258.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.53 €1.37

250.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.97 €0.87

211.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$6.97 €6.21

70.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.03 $22.03

$7.89 €7.04

179.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.42 €1.26

23.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.84

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.08 €2.75

-4.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.48 €1.32

35.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.57 $23.57

$32.87 €29.32

-28.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.87 €1.66

-24.60%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.0K €29.4K

-22.63%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$31.9K €28.5K

-18.49%

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

$302 $302

$183 €163

65.13%

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

$67.7 $67.7

$14.24 €12.70

375.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 $125

$34.56 €30.83

262.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 $37.04

$51.4 €45.87

-27.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.30 $25.30

$16.38 €14.62

54.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 $13.24

$11.06 €9.87

19.71%

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

$944 €842

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$22.3K €19.9K

-46.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.77 $36.77

$87.7 €78.2

-58.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 $29.88

$38.77 €34.59

-22.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 $66.8

$105 €93.3

-36.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 $83.9

$118 €105

-28.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 $1,463

$1,697 €1,514

-13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 $1,142

$1,337 €1,192

-14.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,574 $2,574

$2,692 €2,401

-4.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$2,077 €1,853

5.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,600 $5,600

$7,155 €6,382

-21.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,662 $4,662

$5,079 €4,530

-8.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,795 $3,795

$2,241 €1,999

69.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.19

107.52%

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

Last update for Hilo, HI: November 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7% 17% $195

Groceries & Markets

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25%

Barcelona

$328 13.4% 54.2% $388

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3%

Barcelona

$232 9.5% 53.2% $263

Eating Out

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8%

Barcelona

$267 10.9% 21.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4%

Barcelona

$157 6.4% 60.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2%

Barcelona

$74 3% 15.8% $10

Getting Around

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5%

Barcelona

$49 2% 280% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,463 in Hilo, HI and $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilo, HI pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $80 in Hilo, HI vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $715 vs $328 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

12:16 12:16 PM

11 h ahead of Hilo, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,186

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hilo, HI Barcelona 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilo, HI
Barcelona

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

Hilo, HI vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,865 in Hilo, HI and $2,443 in Barcelona, so Barcelona is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Hilo, HI, 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: $1,463 in Hilo, HI versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $80 in Hilo, HI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,865 per month in Hilo, HI versus $2,443 in Barcelona – Barcelona is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Hilo, HI and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Hilo, HI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.