Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: $1,610 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
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Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $1,610 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.

Barcelona $2,381
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $1,610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $2,368 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.

Barcelona $3,406
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $2,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $3,126 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.

Barcelona $4,431
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $3,126

Living in Barcelona is roughly 48% more expensive than in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €15.92

$14.81 €13.18

20.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

$57.1 €50.8

15.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €12.18

$10.31 €9.17

32.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.17 €1.93

41.01%

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

$3.07 €2.73

$2.39 €2.12

28.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.70 €1.51

14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$3.40 €3.03

13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

$3.41 €3.04

35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.19 €1.06

9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.36 €1.21

54.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$1.67 €1.48

9.58%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$2.89 €2.57

59.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

$13.52 €12.03

28.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

$8.22 €7.31

12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

$15.10 €13.43

31.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.51 €2.23

19.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.96 €1.74

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.97 €1.75

34.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.59 €2.30

10.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.73 €1.54

24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.02 €1.80

6.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.33 €1.18

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.70 €0.62

25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$6.46 €5.75

7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$5.73 €5.10

36.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.20 €1.07

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.05 €1.83

28.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.59

$1.69 €1.50

72.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

$33.64 €29.92

-24.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

$4.09 €3.64

-26.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.26 €1.12

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

$25.03 €22.26

32.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.76 €1.57

5.68%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

$38.3K €34.1K

-15.53%

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

$31.7K €28.2K

$30.3K €27.0K

4.53%

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

$183 €163

$135 €120

35.83%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$20.74 €18.45

-34.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

$30.89 €27.48

6.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

$47.30 €42.08

15.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

$15.03 €13.37

9.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$9.02 €8.03

24.50%

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

$954 €849

$413 €367

131.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

$8,267 €7,353

100.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

$84.1 €74.8

2.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

$34.68 €30.84

12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

$87.4 €77.8

18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$107 €95.5

10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

$853 €758

98.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

$690 €614

84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$1,305 €1,161

97.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

$1,016 €903

89.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

$3,320 €2,953

119.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

$2,366 €2,105

111.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

3.5

-6.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$690 42.9% 45.9% $586

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$260 16.2% 19.9% $65

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$216 13.4% 20% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$186 11.6% 18.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$141 8.8% 9.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$65 4.1% 15.3% $12

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$51 3.2% 7.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $853 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $260 per month, with Gran Canaria, Canary Islands cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇪🇸 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

1 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

862,893

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barcelona Gran Canaria, Canary Islands 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gran Canaria, Canary Islands differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $1,610 including rent). Gran Canaria, Canary Islands is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,571 in Barcelona and $2,414 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $853 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $413 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,610 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gran Canaria, Canary Islands 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 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands 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 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.