Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guelph Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Guelph

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,651 in Guelph.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,658 in Guelph.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,666 in Guelph.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 11% less than in Guelph, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Guelph 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$20.52 CA$28.11

-14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$72.9 CA$99.9

-6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$11.81 CA$16.17

18.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.65 CA$5.00

-24.38%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$1.86 CA$2.55

48.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.79 CA$2.46

10.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.09 CA$6.97

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.73 CA$7.85

-20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.08 CA$2.85

-40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.59 CA$3.54

-21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$3.25 CA$4.46

-41.23%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.17 CA$4.34

6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$8.73 CA$11.95

110.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$8.60 CA$11.79

9.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$25.69 CA$35.20

-26.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$4.13 CA$5.66

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$0.92 CA$1.25

160.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$3.28 CA$4.50

-35.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$2.19 CA$3.00

23.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.97 CA$4.06

-30.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.63 CA$3.60

-32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.43 CA$3.33

-39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.44 CA$1.98

-36.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$11.19 CA$15.33

-37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$11.19 CA$15.32

-32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.66 CA$3.64

-45.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.77 CA$3.80

-16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.36 CA$3.24

24.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$61.9 CA$84.8

-52.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.35 CA$3.22

92.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.68 CA$2.30

27.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$33.47 CA$45.85

-13.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.13 CA$1.55

67.26%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$25.0K CA$34.3K

55.96%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$21.5K CA$29.4K

50.96%

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

$189 €161

$131 CA$180

44.00%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$54.3 CA$74.3

-59.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$62.2 CA$85.2

-41.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$54.3 CA$74.4

6.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$18.60 CA$25.49

14.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$11.03 CA$15.11

-0.18%

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

$731 €622

$933 CA$1,278

-21.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$11.0K CA$15.1K

34.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$62.0 CA$85.0

43.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$39.19 CA$53.7

-4.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$85.4 CA$117

22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$125 CA$171

-6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,473 CA$2,018

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$1,467 CA$2,009

-17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$2,115 CA$2,898

32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$2,000 CA$2,739

0.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$4,855 CA$6,651

47.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$5,029 CA$6,890

-0.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$3,330 CA$4,562

-26.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.55

-48.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Guelph: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,473 in Guelph. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guelph pays 35% 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 in Barcelona vs $73 in Guelph for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $351 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 Guelph: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Guelph differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,651 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Guelph earns 35% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,473 in Guelph. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $933 in Guelph. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Guelph. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,651 in Guelph, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Guelph. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Guelph 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 13% less than in Guelph. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.