Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,493 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,584 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,676 in Hamilton.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 7% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$18.13 CA$25.41

-2.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$73.3 CA$103

-4.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$10.98 CA$15.39

28.96%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.05 CA$5.68

-30.86%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.10 CA$2.94

33.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.81 CA$2.53

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$5.83 CA$8.17

-21.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$6.58 CA$9.23

-28.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$2.23 CA$3.13

-44.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.12 CA$2.98

-4.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.85 CA$4.00

-30.53%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.14 CA$4.40

11.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$7.74 CA$10.85

136.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$11.56 CA$16.21

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$14.39 CA$20.18

32.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.91 CA$5.48

-30.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.30 CA$1.82

83.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.55 CA$4.97

-41.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.90 CA$5.47

-29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.62 CA$3.67

-25.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.19 CA$3.07

-18.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.21 CA$3.09

-33.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.99 CA$2.80

-54.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$13.47 CA$18.88

-47.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$12.63 CA$17.71

-37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.41 CA$3.38

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.07 CA$4.31

-22.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$2.62 CA$3.68

14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$87.4 CA$123

-66.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$3.54 CA$4.96

23.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.22 CA$1.71

74.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$23.62 CA$33.12

25.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.14 CA$1.60

59.65%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$25.4K CA$35.6K

49.27%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$20.4K CA$28.6K

58.62%

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

$189 €165

$155 CA$218

21.65%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$40.11 CA$56.2

-44.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$51.2 CA$71.7

-27.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$36.80 CA$51.6

57.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$22.40 CA$31.40

-7.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$11.57 CA$16.22

-6.05%

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

$706 €617

$643 CA$901

9.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

-31.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$56.0 CA$78.5

59.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$33.71 CA$47.26

8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$96.7 CA$136

7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$121 CA$170

-1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$1,352 CA$1,895

16.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$1,268 CA$1,778

-2.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$1,987 CA$2,785

36.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$2,022 CA$2,835

0.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$2,710 CA$3,800

177.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$2,749 CA$3,854

90.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$2,871 CA$4,025

-17.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.62

-48.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,352 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 21% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $73.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $341 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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hamilton differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,493 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Hamilton. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,352 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $643 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,493 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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 Hamilton 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 7% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.