Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,776 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,068 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $5,359 in Burnaby.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 15% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Burnaby 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$14.75 CA$20.49

19.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$73.9 CA$103

-7.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$8.95 CA$12.43

57.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.19 CA$5.82

-33.65%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.81 CA$2.52

54.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.33 CA$1.85

54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.91 CA$8.21

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.56 CA$7.73

-17.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.55 CA$3.55

-51.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.77 CA$3.85

-26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.48 CA$6.23

-57.14%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.13 CA$4.34

5.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.33 CA$17.13

49.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.98 CA$16.65

-20.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$21.64 CA$30.06

-11.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.34 CA$4.64

-20.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.28 CA$1.78

91.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.00 CA$4.17

-29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.84 CA$5.33

-25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.89 CA$4.02

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.00 CA$4.17

-38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.39 CA$3.32

-38.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.89 CA$2.63

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$14.84 CA$20.61

-51.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$13.26 CA$18.42

-40.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.41 CA$3.35

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.52 CA$3.51

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.28 CA$3.17

30.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$77.2 CA$107

-62.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.80 CA$3.89

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.42 CA$1.97

45.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$25.32 CA$35.18

15.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.31 CA$1.82

40.46%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.3K CA$35.2K

53.95%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.4K CA$28.4K

60.05%

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

$188 €162

$136 CA$188

38.54%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$42.55 CA$59.1

-46.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$55.6 CA$77.2

-33.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$31.32 CA$43.52

83.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$5.61 CA$7.80

268.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$16.29 CA$22.63

-31.31%

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

$721 €621

$547 CA$760

31.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$8,127 CA$11.3K

85.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$54.7 CA$76.0

57.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$53.6 CA$74.5

-30.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$93.6 CA$130

8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$96.4 CA$134

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,909 CA$2,653

-19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,658 CA$2,304

-26.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$3,989 CA$5,543

-32.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$2,650 CA$3,682

-24.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$6,878 CA$9,556

4.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$5,525 CA$7,676

-6.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$3,275 CA$4,551

-27.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.54

-48.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 39% 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 $74.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $392 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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Burnaby differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,776 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Burnaby earns 39% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $547 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Burnaby. 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 Burnaby 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 17% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.