Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dartmouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dartmouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,090 in Dartmouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $3,171 in Dartmouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $4,252 in Dartmouth.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 15% more expensive than in Dartmouth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Dartmouth 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$14.91 CA$21.08

18.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$59.6 CA$84.3

17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$8.70 CA$12.30

57.01%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$3.62 CA$5.11

-24.31%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$1.66 CA$2.34

68.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.34 CA$1.89

46.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$5.87 CA$8.30

-25.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$5.94 CA$8.39

-22.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.04 CA$2.89

-36.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.51 CA$3.55

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.74 CA$5.28

-47.06%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$3.49 CA$4.93

-2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$10.02 CA$14.17

86.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$11.39 CA$16.10

-16.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$15.27 CA$21.59

23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$3.71 CA$5.24

-25.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.64 CA$2.32

50.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.81 CA$5.38

-44.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$5.33 CA$7.53

-47.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.03 CA$2.87

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.20 CA$3.11

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.73 CA$3.86

-44.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.88 CA$2.66

-52.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$14.77 CA$20.87

-52.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$11.63 CA$16.44

-31.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$3.43 CA$4.84

-58.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$3.35 CA$4.74

-31.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$2.08 CA$2.94

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$62.6 CA$88.4

-54.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$7.85 CA$11.10

-44.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.43 CA$2.02

49.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$28.91 CA$40.86

0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.24 CA$1.76

50.00%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$24.6K CA$34.7K

58.59%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$21.0K CA$29.7K

55.45%

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

$189 €165

$72.6 CA$103

160.65%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$37.21 CA$52.6

-38.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$82.9 CA$117

-55.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$37.55 CA$53.1

53.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$11.03 CA$15.59

-1.99%

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

$726 €634

$167 CA$236

335.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$11.9K CA$16.8K

26.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$40.43 CA$57.2

116.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$35.49 CA$50.2

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$70.7 CA$100.0

46.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$77.6 CA$110

50.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$1,264 CA$1,787

24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$1,077 CA$1,522

13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$2,087 CA$2,950

29.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$1,911 CA$2,702

2.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$2,607 CA$3,686

-8.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.62

-39.68%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,264 in Dartmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dartmouth pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $60.0 in Dartmouth. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $369, 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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dartmouth differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $2,090 including rent). Dartmouth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Dartmouth. 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $1,264 in Dartmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $167 in Dartmouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,090 in Dartmouth versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dartmouth but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.