Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and New Westminster Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and New Westminster

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,514 in New Westminster.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,909 in New Westminster.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $5,304 in New Westminster.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, New Westminster 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$14.63 CA$20.04

20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$73.0 CA$99.9

-6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$9.36 CA$12.83

49.15%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.98 CA$5.45

-30.65%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$1.98 CA$2.71

39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.46 CA$2.00

34.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.40 CA$8.77

-29.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.72 CA$9.20

-32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.24 CA$3.07

-44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.46 CA$3.38

-17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$3.60 CA$4.93

-46.94%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.47 CA$4.75

-2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$10.15 CA$13.90

80.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$10.47 CA$14.35

-10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$10.04 CA$13.76

88.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.06 CA$4.20

-14.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.37 CA$1.88

75.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.83 CA$3.88

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$3.67 CA$5.02

-26.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.43 CA$3.33

-15.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.21 CA$3.03

-19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.89 CA$2.59

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$2.11 CA$2.89

-56.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$16.48 CA$22.58

-57.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$15.49 CA$21.22

-51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.25 CA$3.08

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.99 CA$4.10

-22.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.56 CA$3.51

14.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$96.7 CA$133

-69.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.27 CA$3.11

99.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.61 CA$2.21

32.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$23.89 CA$32.72

21.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.28 CA$1.75

47.66%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$24.8K CA$34.0K

57.13%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$19.8K CA$27.1K

63.76%

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

$189 €161

$116 CA$159

62.98%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$45.86 CA$62.8

-51.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$68.4 CA$93.7

-46.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$34.08 CA$46.69

70.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$18.08 CA$24.77

17.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$12.32 CA$16.88

-10.63%

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

$731 €622

$825 CA$1,130

-11.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$8,121 CA$11.1K

82.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$47.08 CA$64.5

89.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$33.48 CA$45.87

11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$83.5 CA$114

25.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$105 CA$144

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,606 CA$2,200

-3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$1,394 CA$1,909

-12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$2,918 CA$3,997

-4.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$2,735 CA$3,746

-26.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$4,872 CA$6,674

46.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$4,203 CA$5,758

19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$3,149 CA$4,314

-21.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.44

-47.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for New Westminster: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,606 in New Westminster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Westminster pays 28% 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 New Westminster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $334 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 New Westminster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and New Westminster differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,514 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, New Westminster earns 28% 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 $1,606 in New Westminster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $825 in New Westminster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in New Westminster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,514 in New Westminster, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in New Westminster. 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 New Westminster 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 New Westminster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.