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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,354 in Duncan BC.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,584 in Duncan BC.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,813 in Duncan BC.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 1% more expensive than Duncan BC, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Duncan BC 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$18.54 CA$25.78

-5.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.5 CA$96.7

-1.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.24 CA$15.63

25.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.14 CA$5.76

-32.85%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.04 CA$2.83

37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.81 CA$2.52

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.10 CA$7.09

-12.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$6.12 CA$8.51

-24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.53 CA$2.13

-18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.61 CA$3.63

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$5.36 CA$7.46

-64.18%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.53 CA$4.91

-6.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.25 CA$14.26

79.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$12.06 CA$16.77

-21.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$14.91 CA$20.74

28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.34 CA$4.64

-20.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.29 CA$1.80

89.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.00 CA$4.18

-29.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.44 CA$4.79

-17.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.38 CA$3.31

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.02 CA$2.82

-8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.37 CA$3.29

-37.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.75 CA$2.44

-52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$14.34 CA$19.94

-50.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$12.01 CA$16.71

-34.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.84 CA$5.34

-64.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.96 CA$5.50

-41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.98 CA$2.75

50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$76.5 CA$106

-61.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.81 CA$3.91

63.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.50 CA$2.09

38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$29.01 CA$40.35

0.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.35 CA$1.88

36.30%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.3K CA$32.4K

67.41%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.7K CA$28.7K

58.17%

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

$188 €162

$158 CA$220

18.92%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$41.92 CA$58.3

-45.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$66.9 CA$93.0

-45.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$64.1 CA$89.2

-10.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.72 CA$17.69

-12.03%

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

$721 €621

$920 CA$1,279

-21.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$10.7K CA$14.9K

40.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$56.5 CA$78.5

52.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$51.3 CA$71.4

-27.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$99.1 CA$138

2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$96.1 CA$134

20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,280 CA$1,781

19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,154 CA$1,605

5.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,411 CA$3,353

11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$2,216 CA$3,082

-9.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$4,387 CA$6,101

64.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$3,646 CA$5,071

42.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$3,217 CA$4,474

-26.67%

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 Duncan BC: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,280 in Duncan BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Duncan BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $359 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,354 including rent). Duncan BC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Duncan BC earns 36% 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 $1,280 in Duncan BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $920 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 $2,354 in Duncan BC versus $2,367 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 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.