Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hearst Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hearst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,249 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,255 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,261 in Hearst.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 10% more expensive than in Hearst, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Hearst 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$20.48 CA$28.65

-8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$61.8 CA$86.4

12.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$12.37 CA$17.30

11.32%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.78 CA$5.29

-17.99%

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

$2.83 €2.46

$2.32 CA$3.24

21.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.40 CA$1.96

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.75 CA$8.04

-30.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$5.32 CA$7.44

-14.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.08 CA$2.91

-38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.64 CA$3.70

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.96 CA$4.15

-40.54%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$3.47 CA$4.85

47.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$10.23 CA$14.30

74.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$11.78 CA$16.48

-18.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$15.31 CA$21.42

31.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.95 CA$5.52

-17.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.14 CA$1.59

95.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$4.13 CA$5.78

-37.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.95 CA$5.52

-30.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.64 CA$3.70

-16.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.14 CA$2.99

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.47 CA$3.46

-37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.65 CA$2.30

-42.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$14.52 CA$20.31

-49.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$14.07 CA$19.67

-42.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.71 CA$3.79

-43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.17 CA$4.43

-11.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$2.13 CA$2.98

46.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$56.2 CA$78.6

-53.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.86 CA$4.00

14.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.60 CA$2.23

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$24.31 CA$34.00

40.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.01 CA$1.42

71.29%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$28.2K CA$39.5K

28.74%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$19.4K CA$27.2K

57.14%

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

$187 €163

$137 CA$192

36.59%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$35.47 CA$49.61

-57.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$56.2 CA$78.5

-32.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.68

$41.35 CA$57.8

35.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$18.47 CA$25.84

-7.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$11.14 CA$15.59

2.42%

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

$997 €867

$760 CA$1,064

31.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$12.1K CA$16.9K

36.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$54.2 CA$75.9

70.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$39.10 CA$54.7

5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$86.4 CA$121

28.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$100 CA$140

24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$1,240 CA$1,735

37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$1,211 CA$1,694

6.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$2,144 CA$2,999

19.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$1,748 CA$2,445

11.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,655

$3,683 CA$5,151

107.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$4,210 CA$5,888

22.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$3,279 CA$4,587

-28.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.66

-32.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hearst: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,240 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $62.0 in Hearst. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $361, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hearst differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,249 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Hearst. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,240 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $760 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,249 in Hearst versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hearst but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hearst 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 Hearst 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 Hearst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.