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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,778 in Bathurst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,054 in Bathurst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,329 in Bathurst.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 40% more expensive than in Bathurst, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Bathurst 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$16.49 CA$22.87

11.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$43.40 CA$60.2

59.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$11.82 CA$16.39

18.87%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.52 CA$4.88

-11.65%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.03 CA$2.82

45.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.66 CA$2.30

17.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$4.99 CA$6.93

-20.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$5.03 CA$6.97

-8.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.74 CA$2.41

-24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.61 CA$3.62

-19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.51 CA$3.49

-27.09%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.58 CA$4.96

44.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$11.29 CA$15.65

55.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$9.59 CA$13.30

-0.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$6.59 CA$9.14

202.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$4.66 CA$6.47

-31.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.64 CA$2.27

34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$4.85 CA$6.73

-46.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.95 CA$2.70

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.68 CA$3.71

-19.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.60 CA$2.22

31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.27 CA$3.15

-28.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.62 CA$2.25

-45.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$10.21 CA$14.16

-29.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.09 CA$16.77

-31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.24 CA$4.49

-53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.61 CA$6.39

-40.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.70 CA$5.13

-15.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$64.8 CA$89.9

-59.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.97 CA$4.12

8.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.35 CA$1.88

11.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$21.58 CA$29.93

63.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.18 CA$1.63

48.31%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$28.7K CA$39.8K

27.73%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$19.2K CA$26.7K

64.60%

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

$187 €161

$105 CA$145

78.72%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$71.8 CA$99.6

-78.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$60.9 CA$84.5

-38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$44.44 CA$61.6

24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$32.01 CA$44.39

-47.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$9.65 CA$13.38

21.35%

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

$1,011 €871

$585 CA$811

72.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$1,728 CA$2,397

887.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$51.3 CA$71.1

78.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$41.21 CA$57.2

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$79.3 CA$110

39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$81.7 CA$113

54.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$770 CA$1,067

121.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$713 CA$988

82.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$2,061 CA$2,858

15.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.77

-33.75%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $770 in Bathurst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 15% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Bathurst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $321 per month, with Bathurst 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

Barcelona vs Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bathurst differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,778 including rent). Bathurst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $770 in Bathurst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $585 in Bathurst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,778 in Bathurst versus $2,482 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 40% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.