Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihue, HI and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihue, HI and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,061 in Lihue, HI versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,470 in Lihue, HI versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,880 in Lihue, HI versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Lihue, HI is roughly 29% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lihue, HI 128% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$46.28 $46.28

$17.58 €15.14

163.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$68.4 €58.9

16.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.41 $12.41

$14.06 €12.10

-11.74%

Cappuccino

$6.85 $6.85

$2.78 €2.39

146.40%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.80 €2.41

-7.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.06 €1.78

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.46 €3.84

-8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.61 €3.97

-11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.24 €1.07

50.81%

White Bread (500g)

$6.75 $6.75

$2.03 €1.75

232.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.92 €1.65

48.96%

Eggs

$10.27 $10.27

$3.31 €2.85

210.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 $15.33

$18.43 €15.87

-16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$9.49 €8.17

62.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$19.16 €16.49

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.64 €2.27

79.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.45 €2.11

-33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.55 $8.55

$2.12 €1.83

303.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$2.85 €2.45

241.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.04 €1.75

38.24%

Onion (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$1.85 €1.59

225.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.47 €1.27

146.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.84 €0.73

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.82 $11.82

$7.14 €6.15

65.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 $14.15

$7.88 €6.79

79.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.38 €1.19

22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.31 €1.99

-29.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.98 €2.57

-33.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 $52.4

$29.26 €25.19

78.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$4.60 €3.96

-22.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.07 €1.78

-20.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.89 $28.89

$29.18 €25.12

-0.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.84 €1.58

-23.91%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-24.75%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$32.7K €28.1K

-21.60%

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

$184 $184

$188 €162

-1.92%

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

$30.52 $30.52

$22.93 €19.74

33.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 $55.7

$36.71 €31.61

51.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.21 $43.21

$57.4 €49.39

-24.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 $9.24

$11.19 €9.64

-17.43%

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

$1,185 $1,185

$721 €621

64.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$15.0K €13.0K

6.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$86.2 €74.2

-40.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 $40.67

$37.07 €31.92

9.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 $86.9

$102 €87.8

-14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$116 €99.8

-5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 $1,987

$1,534 €1,320

29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 $1,529

$1,220 €1,051

25.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,613 $2,613

$2,696 €2,321

-3.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 $2,197

$2,013 €1,733

9.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,926 $2,926

$7,220 €6,216

-59.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,567 $2,567

$5,189 €4,467

-50.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,007 $2,007

$2,359 €2,031

-14.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.39

91.74%

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

Last update for Lihue, HI: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,987 in Lihue, HI and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona 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: $80.0 in Lihue, HI vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $318 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

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

Lihue, HI and Barcelona differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($3,061 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona 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: $1,987 in Lihue, HI versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,185 in Lihue, HI versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lihue, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona 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, Lihue, HI 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 29% less than in Lihue, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.