Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Duncan BC Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Duncan BC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,184 in Duncan BC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,477 in Duncan BC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,770 in Duncan BC.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 13% more expensive than in Duncan BC, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Duncan BC 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$18.34 CA$25.65

2.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$71.7 CA$100

-3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$11.00 CA$15.38

25.18%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.04 CA$5.65

-23.27%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$2.19 CA$3.06

29.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.74 CA$2.43

8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.30 CA$7.42

-24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$5.84 CA$8.17

-22.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.63 CA$2.29

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.65 CA$3.71

-18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.45 CA$6.22

-60.45%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$4.01 CA$5.61

27.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$11.67 CA$16.32

53.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$13.76 CA$19.24

-29.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$14.54 CA$20.33

38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$4.40 CA$6.15

-26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.34 CA$1.87

66.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$3.94 CA$5.51

-34.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.00 CA$5.60

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.84 CA$3.97

-22.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.98 CA$4.17

-28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.66 CA$3.72

-41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.65 CA$2.31

-42.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$14.17 CA$19.82

-48.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$12.00 CA$16.78

-32.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.72 CA$3.81

-43.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.95 CA$4.13

-5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$2.04 CA$2.85

52.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$74.7 CA$105

-65.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.75 CA$3.84

18.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.60 CA$2.24

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$32.57 CA$45.55

5.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.27 CA$1.77

36.22%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$26.6K CA$37.2K

36.76%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$19.5K CA$27.3K

56.34%

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

$187 €163

$77.8 CA$109

140.56%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$35.64 CA$49.86

-57.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$50.2 CA$70.2

-24.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$62.1 CA$86.9

-9.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$11.68 CA$16.33

-2.31%

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

$997 €867

$1,064 CA$1,489

-6.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$10.1K CA$14.2K

63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$57.2 CA$79.9

62.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$34.66 CA$48.48

18.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$86.9 CA$122

27.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$92.2 CA$129

35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$1,250 CA$1,748

36.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$1,060 CA$1,483

21.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$2,294 CA$3,208

11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$2,166 CA$3,029

-10.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$4,425 CA$6,190

72.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$3,642 CA$5,094

41.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$3,112 CA$4,353

-24.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.21

-24.94%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Duncan BC: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,250 in Duncan BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $72.0 in Duncan BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $378 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 Duncan BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Duncan BC differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,184 including rent). Duncan BC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Duncan BC. 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 $1,250 in Duncan BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,064 in Duncan BC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,184 in Duncan BC versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Duncan BC but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Duncan BC 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 Duncan BC 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 Duncan BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.