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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,994 in Waikiki, HI versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,502 in Waikiki, HI versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,011 in Waikiki, HI versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Waikiki, HI is roughly 27% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waikiki, HI 125% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.83 $23.83

$17.15 €14.86

38.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$68.1 €58.9

48.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.64 €11.82

11.80%

Cappuccino

$5.99 $5.99

$2.78 €2.41

115.47%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.82 €2.44

30.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.96 €1.70

43.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.43 €3.84

77.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$4.61 €3.99

93.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.27 €1.10

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.13 €1.85

15.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.21 $10.21

$1.99 €1.72

413.07%

Eggs

$7.71 $7.71

$3.37 €2.92

128.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$18.96 €16.42

-34.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.35 $19.35

$9.53 €8.26

103.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$18.73 €16.22

5.34%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$2.65 €2.29

155.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.35 €2.04

-30.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$2.09 €1.81

214.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$2.73 €2.37

203.30%

Potato (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.96 €1.70

164.29%

Onion (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.81 €1.56

152.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.51 €1.31

225.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.89 €0.77

226.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 $12.15

$6.78 €5.87

79.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.72 $17.72

$7.92 €6.86

123.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.37 €1.19

83.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.40 €2.08

129.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.91 €2.52

-30.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 $81.1

$28.66 €24.82

182.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$4.58 €3.96

-25.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.04 €1.77

31.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.30 $44.30

$28.72 €24.87

54.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.82 €1.58

-32.97%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$39.3K €34.0K

-24.50%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$32.5K €28.1K

-23.37%

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

$237 $237

$187 €162

26.90%

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

$66.8 $66.8

$22.29 €19.30

199.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$36.37 €31.50

87.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.81 $42.81

$57.5 €49.82

-25.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 $16.24

$10.77 €9.33

50.79%

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

$1,514 $1,514

$725 €628

108.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$15.2K €13.1K

33.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 $56.2

$87.9 €76.1

-35.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 $60.2

$36.81 €31.88

63.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$103 €89.6

1.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$119 €103

9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$1,524 €1,319

4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$1,227 €1,062

12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$2,727 €2,362

-5.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 $2,230

$1,984 €1,718

12.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,664 $2,664

$7,469 €6,468

-64.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 $2,560

$5,243 €4,541

-51.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

3.39

94.40%

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

Last update for Waikiki, HI: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Waikiki, HI and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Waikiki, HI vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $556 vs $319 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

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

Waikiki, HI and Barcelona differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,994 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,491 in Waikiki, HI and $3,539 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,599 in Waikiki, HI versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,514 in Waikiki, HI versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Waikiki, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,994 in Waikiki, HI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Waikiki, HI. 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, Waikiki, 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 27% less than in Waikiki, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.