Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burlington Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burlington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,756 in Burlington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $4,090 in Burlington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $5,423 in Burlington.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 16% less than in Burlington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Burlington 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.07

$20.31 CA$28.65

-15.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$73.9 CA$104

-4.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$11.08 CA$15.63

26.53%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$3.69 CA$5.21

-24.66%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$2.01 CA$2.84

38.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.73 CA$2.44

18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$5.74 CA$8.09

-21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$6.44 CA$9.08

-27.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.09 CA$2.95

-38.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$3.12 CA$4.40

-31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$4.39 CA$6.19

-56.04%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$3.02 CA$4.26

15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.24

$13.73 CA$19.37

34.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$8.64 CA$12.19

10.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.57

$22.52 CA$31.77

-16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$3.41 CA$4.81

-23.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.38 CA$1.95

69.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.63 CA$5.13

-42.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$3.57 CA$5.03

-20.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.93 CA$2.72

1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.76 CA$2.48

5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.20 CA$3.10

-30.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$2.04 CA$2.87

-55.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$14.93 CA$21.06

-54.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$12.58 CA$17.75

-38.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.38 CA$3.35

-42.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.29 CA$3.23

1.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$3.22 CA$4.55

-6.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.10

$106 CA$150

-73.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$2.34 CA$3.30

95.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.77 CA$2.49

20.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.91

$43.77 CA$61.7

-32.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.17 CA$1.66

53.85%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$24.9K CA$35.1K

54.71%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$21.0K CA$29.6K

58.62%

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

$185 €162

$134 CA$189

38.21%

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

$22.68 €19.89

$52.7 CA$74.4

-56.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.25

$63.0 CA$88.8

-41.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$45.80 CA$64.6

26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.58

$23.49 CA$33.13

-9.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$11.02 CA$15.54

-1.72%

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

$727 €637

$953 CA$1,344

-23.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$24.8K CA$35.0K

-40.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$62.6 CA$88.2

39.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.76

$68.5 CA$96.6

-45.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$87.3 CA$123

18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$138 CA$194

-13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,368

$1,713 CA$2,417

-8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$1,459 CA$2,058

-16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,404

$2,638 CA$3,721

3.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,746

$2,397 CA$3,381

-16.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,567

$5,201 CA$7,335

44.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,566

$4,420 CA$6,234

17.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,064

$3,362 CA$4,743

-29.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.4

-47.03%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Burlington: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $1,713 in Burlington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington pays 43% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $74.0 in Burlington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $376 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

Barcelona vs Burlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Burlington differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,756 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Burlington. 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $1,713 in Burlington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $953 in Burlington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Burlington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,756 in Burlington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Burlington. 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, Barcelona and Burlington 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 19% less than in Burlington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.