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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,366 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,408 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,450 in Hearst.

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Hearst; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Hearst 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$16.96 CA$23.23

4.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$69.2 CA$94.8

-1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$11.01 CA$15.08

26.79%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.81 CA$5.22

-27.56%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.04 CA$2.79

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.64 CA$2.25

20.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.56 CA$7.61

-18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.99 CA$8.21

-24.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.18 CA$2.98

-43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.64 CA$3.62

-22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$3.56 CA$4.87

-46.35%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.52 CA$4.82

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$11.34 CA$15.53

61.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$11.68 CA$16.00

-19.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$14.63 CA$20.04

29.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$4.01 CA$5.49

-34.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.40 CA$1.92

71.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$3.71 CA$5.08

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$3.77 CA$5.17

-28.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.41 CA$3.31

-14.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.53 CA$3.47

-29.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.58 CA$3.54

-43.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.70 CA$2.33

-46.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$13.85 CA$18.97

-49.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$14.63 CA$20.04

-48.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.95 CA$4.05

-51.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.03 CA$4.15

-23.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.30 CA$3.15

27.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$63.0 CA$86.3

-53.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.25 CA$4.46

39.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.50 CA$2.05

42.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$25.90 CA$35.48

11.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.17 CA$1.61

61.54%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$24.8K CA$34.0K

57.25%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$20.3K CA$27.8K

60.05%

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

$189 €161

$142 CA$195

32.58%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$44.44 CA$60.9

-49.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$63.7 CA$87.2

-42.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$42.17 CA$57.8

37.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$14.93 CA$20.45

42.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$11.55 CA$15.82

-4.68%

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

$731 €622

$745 CA$1,020

-1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$11.6K CA$15.9K

28.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$53.5 CA$73.3

66.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$38.97 CA$53.4

-4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$87.3 CA$120

19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$109 CA$149

6.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,339 CA$1,834

15.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$1,196 CA$1,638

1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$2,024 CA$2,773

38.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,816 CA$2,488

10.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$4,297 CA$5,887

66.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$3,214 CA$4,403

56.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$3,300 CA$4,521

-25.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.46

-47.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Hearst: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,339 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $69 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $368 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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Hearst earns 34% 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 $1,339 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $745 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $69.0 in Hearst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,366 in Hearst, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Hearst. 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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Hearst on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.