Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bathurst Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bathurst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,227 in Bathurst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,170 in Bathurst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,113 in Bathurst.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 6% more expensive than Bathurst, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Bathurst 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$14.69 CA$20.43

19.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$43.47 CA$60.5

57.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.96 CA$12.46

56.92%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.40 CA$4.72

-18.24%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.68 CA$2.34

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.31 CA$1.82

57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.21 CA$7.25

-14.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.14 CA$7.15

-10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.95 CA$2.71

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.72 CA$3.78

-25.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.03 CA$5.61

-52.36%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.74 CA$5.20

-11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.75 CA$17.73

44.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.51 CA$13.23

-0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$6.45 CA$8.98

197.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.01 CA$5.58

-34.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.64 CA$2.28

49.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.77 CA$5.24

-43.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.88 CA$2.62

51.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.10 CA$2.93

-2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.21 CA$3.07

-16.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.71 CA$3.76

-45.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.87 CA$2.60

-55.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$10.14 CA$14.10

-29.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$11.57 CA$16.10

-31.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.37 CA$4.69

-59.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.37 CA$4.68

-31.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.39 CA$3.32

24.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$67.4 CA$93.8

-56.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$7.62 CA$10.60

-39.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.78 CA$2.47

16.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$29.42 CA$40.92

-0.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.16 CA$1.61

58.62%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$24.8K CA$34.4K

57.58%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.9K CA$29.0K

56.55%

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

$188 €162

$106 CA$147

77.83%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$38.17 CA$53.1

-39.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$62.0 CA$86.2

-40.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$43.58 CA$60.6

31.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$33.15 CA$46.10

-37.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.06 CA$15.39

1.18%

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

$721 €621

$166 CA$231

333.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$12.0K CA$16.7K

25.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.42 CA$57.6

108.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$35.09 CA$48.80

5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.7 CA$102

38.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$138 CA$192

-15.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$724 CA$1,007

111.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,187 CA$1,650

2.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,038 CA$2,834

32.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,837 CA$2,554

9.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$2,109 CA$2,933

11.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.46

-47.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $724 in Bathurst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Bathurst. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $328, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bathurst differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,227 including rent). Bathurst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 12% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $724 in Bathurst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $166 in Bathurst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,227 in Bathurst versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bathurst but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bathurst 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, Barcelona and Bathurst 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 Bathurst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.