Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona, Venezuela and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $635 a month against $2,067 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Venezuela
Montreal, Canada
Barcelona
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$635
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Montreal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $635 in Barcelona versus $2,067 in Montreal.

  • Barcelona $635
  • Montreal $2,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,067 in Barcelona versus $3,179 in Montreal.

  • Barcelona $1,067
  • Montreal $3,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,499 in Barcelona versus $4,291 in Montreal.

  • Barcelona $1,499
  • Montreal $4,291

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 69% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 53% below, Montreal is 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.35 VES 8,344
$18.89 CA$26.57
-50.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.91 VES 24.9K
$72.6 CA$102
-61.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.15 VES 8,167
$10.79 CA$15.18
-15.20%
Cappuccino
$2.53 VES 2,257
$3.98 CA$5.60
-36.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 VES 902
$2.02 CA$2.84
-50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 VES 654
$1.63 CA$2.29
-55.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.86 VES 769
$6.32 CA$8.89
-86.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 VES 1,594
$7.06 CA$9.93
-74.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 VES 1,801
$2.33 CA$3.28
-13.30%
White Bread (500g)
-
$3.25 CA$4.57
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 VES 1,216
$3.26 CA$4.59
-58.28%
Eggs
$5.99 VES 5,343
$3.48 CA$4.89
72.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.93 VES 6,183
$13.73 CA$19.31
-49.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 VES 7,054
$11.48 CA$16.14
-31.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.02 VES 6,262
$14.26 CA$20.05
-50.77%
Apples (1kg)
$1.94 VES 1,733
$3.52 CA$4.95
-44.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 VES 1,362
$1.46 CA$2.05
4.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.21 VES 1,081
$3.41 CA$4.80
-64.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 VES 2,183
$3.20 CA$4.50
-23.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 VES 919
$1.94 CA$2.72
-46.91%
Onion (1kg)
$0.97 VES 868
$1.78 CA$2.50
-45.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 VES 1,310
$2.52 CA$3.54
-41.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.58 CA$2.22
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.81 VES 2,512
$11.51 CA$16.18
-75.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.11 VES 9,024
$10.57 CA$14.87
-4.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 VES 693
$2.35 CA$3.30
-66.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 VES 1,833
$2.90 CA$4.07
-29.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 VES 195
$2.61 CA$3.68
-91.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.35 VES 22.6K
$78.5 CA$110
-67.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.02 VES 8,948
$3.17 CA$4.46
216.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.11 VES 992
$1.49 CA$2.10
-25.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$33.49 CA$47.10
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.52 VES 466
$1.36 CA$1.92
-61.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.4K VES 20.0M
$28.0K CA$39.4K
-20.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K VES 35.2M
$21.1K CA$29.7K
86.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$77.6 CA$109
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.78 VES 13.2K
$35.63 CA$50.1
-58.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.26 VES 27.0K
$43.73 CA$61.5
-30.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$30.07 CA$42.29
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.97 CA$28.08
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$11.27 CA$15.85
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$57.7 VES 51.5K
$522 CA$734
-88.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.8K CA$25.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 VES 63.2K
$59.0 CA$82.9
20.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.47 VES 31.7K
$39.01 CA$54.9
-9.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 VES 90.0K
$99.8 CA$140
1.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.3 VES 61.9K
$110 CA$154
-36.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$200 VES 178.9K
$1,298 CA$1,826
-84.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$70.9 VES 63.2K
$970 CA$1,365
-92.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$299 VES 267.1K
$2,323 CA$3,267
-87.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$150 VES 134.1K
$1,689 CA$2,376
-91.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$411 VES 367.1K
$5,004 CA$7,037
-91.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$239 VES 213.0K
$3,736 CA$5,255
-93.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$260 VES 232.1K
$2,943 CA$4,139
-91.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
23.12
4.51
412.64%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 31, 2026

Last update for Montreal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$206 *
Montreal
$357 73.5% $151
Eating Out
Barcelona
$147
Montreal
$292 97.8% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$124
Montreal
$138 11.2% $14
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$71
Montreal
$970 1270% $900
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$45 *
Montreal
$157 248% $112
Getting Around
Barcelona
$42
Montreal
$100 138% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
- *
Montreal
$53

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 $200 in Barcelona and $1,298 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Barcelona vs $73 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $357 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇻🇪 Barcelona
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
11:46 11:46 AM
10:46 10:46 AM
1 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
560,122
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,003 VES (10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Montreal 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Montreal

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
Barcelona vs Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Barcelona or Montreal?
Barcelona wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Barcelona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Barcelona or in Montreal?
On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Barcelona compared to Montreal?
Rent for a central apartment: $200 in Barcelona versus $1,298 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Barcelona and in Montreal?
Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $28 versus $73 in Montreal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Barcelona compared to Montreal?
All in, you’ll spend $635 per month in Barcelona versus $2,067 in Montreal – Barcelona is about 69% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Barcelona or in Montreal?
At $635 in Barcelona versus $2,067 in Montreal, a $800 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Barcelona or Montreal?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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