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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,507 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,577 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,647 in Hamilton.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 6% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$18.39 CA$25.56

-4.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$74.6 CA$104

-8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.84 CA$15.07

29.70%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.03 CA$5.60

-31.02%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.10 CA$2.91

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.73 CA$2.40

19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.73 CA$7.97

-22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$6.49 CA$9.02

-28.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.23 CA$3.10

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.11 CA$2.93

-3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.00 CA$4.17

-36.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.20 CA$4.44

3.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.76 CA$10.78

137.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.64 CA$16.17

-18.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$14.37 CA$19.96

33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.86 CA$5.36

-31.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.31 CA$1.82

87.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.58 CA$4.97

-40.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.73 CA$5.18

-23.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.64 CA$3.66

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.20 CA$3.05

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.22 CA$3.09

-33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$2.00 CA$2.78

-58.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$13.59 CA$18.88

-47.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$13.08 CA$18.18

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.47 CA$3.43

-44.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.01 CA$4.18

-23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.56 CA$3.56

16.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$86.2 CA$120

-66.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.58 CA$4.98

28.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.21 CA$1.69

71.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$24.51 CA$34.06

19.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.15 CA$1.60

60.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.0K CA$34.7K

56.34%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.9K CA$29.1K

56.15%

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

$188 €162

$150 CA$209

25.15%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$38.86 CA$54.0

-40.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$53.0 CA$73.6

-30.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$36.45 CA$50.6

57.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$21.88 CA$30.39

-5.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.73 CA$16.30

-4.60%

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

$721 €621

$644 CA$895

11.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$22.4K CA$31.1K

-32.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$56.6 CA$78.7

52.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$34.04 CA$47.30

8.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$97.3 CA$135

4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$120 CA$167

-3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,346 CA$1,870

13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,306 CA$1,815

-6.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,056 CA$2,856

31.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,970 CA$2,737

2.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,754 CA$3,826

162.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,768 CA$3,846

87.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,916 CA$4,051

-19.09%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 24% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $75.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $343 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,507 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamilton earns 24% 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 $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $644 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,507 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 6% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.