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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,675 in Burlington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,900 in Burlington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $5,125 in Burlington.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 7% less than in Burlington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Burlington 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$21.41 CA$29.94

-12.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$73.1 CA$102

-4.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.92 CA$15.27

26.10%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.30 CA$4.62

-6.06%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.92 CA$2.69

47.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.51 CA$2.11

24.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.85 CA$8.19

-31.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$6.47 CA$9.06

-29.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.61 CA$3.65

-51.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.95 CA$4.12

-26.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.90 CA$5.45

-54.87%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.77 CA$5.27

36.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.08 CA$14.10

77.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.51 CA$14.71

-8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$14.98 CA$20.96

34.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.88 CA$5.43

-16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.48 CA$2.07

50.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.68 CA$3.75

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.68 CA$5.15

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.92 CA$2.69

15.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.86 CA$2.60

13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.08 CA$2.91

-25.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.51 CA$2.12

-37.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$13.69 CA$19.15

-46.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.97 CA$15.35

-26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.79 CA$3.91

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.92 CA$4.09

-4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.74 CA$3.83

13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$97.9 CA$137

-73.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$5.02 CA$7.02

-34.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.59 CA$3.62

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$42.79 CA$59.9

-19.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.09 CA$1.53

58.72%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$28.8K CA$40.3K

26.23%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$20.6K CA$28.8K

48.13%

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

$187 €163

$144 CA$201

30.02%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$45.85 CA$64.1

-66.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$68.3 CA$95.6

-44.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$52.1 CA$72.9

7.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$29.78 CA$41.66

-42.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$16.29 CA$22.78

-29.96%

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

$997 €869

$1,199 CA$1,678

-16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$19.1K CA$26.7K

-13.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$71.5 CA$100

29.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$66.6 CA$93.1

-38.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$99.6 CA$139

11.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$100 CA$140

24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,680 CA$2,351

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,440 CA$2,015

-10.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,542 CA$3,556

0.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$2,249 CA$3,146

-13.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$5,150 CA$7,204

48.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$4,158 CA$5,817

24.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,212 CA$4,493

-26.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.52

-30.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Burlington: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,680 in Burlington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington pays 37% 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 $73.0 in Burlington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $349 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,675 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,680 in Burlington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,199 in Burlington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 8% less than in Burlington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.