Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oakville Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Oakville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,638 in Oakville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,811 in Oakville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,984 in Oakville.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 10% less than in Oakville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Oakville 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$18.12 CA$25.20

-2.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$76.1 CA$106

-10.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.01 CA$15.30

27.70%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.80 CA$5.28

-26.84%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.13 CA$2.96

31.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.68 CA$2.33

22.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.80 CA$8.06

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$6.52 CA$9.07

-29.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.33 CA$3.25

-46.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.81 CA$3.91

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.49 CA$4.85

-44.99%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.29 CA$4.57

0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.35 CA$18.57

38.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.70 CA$16.27

-18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$14.39 CA$20.01

33.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.83 CA$5.33

-31.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.25 CA$1.74

96.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.22 CA$4.47

-34.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.14 CA$5.76

-31.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.43 CA$3.38

-16.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.84 CA$3.94

-34.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.18 CA$3.03

-32.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$2.01 CA$2.79

-58.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$13.51 CA$18.78

-47.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$14.33 CA$19.93

-45.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.40 CA$3.34

-42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.01 CA$4.19

-23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.91 CA$4.05

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$101 CA$141

-71.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.63 CA$5.05

26.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.40 CA$1.94

47.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$23.78 CA$33.07

22.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.11 CA$1.54

65.77%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.2K CA$35.1K

54.52%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.5K CA$29.9K

52.09%

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

$188 €162

$120 CA$167

56.13%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$39.95 CA$55.6

-42.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$54.8 CA$76.2

-32.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$44.89 CA$62.4

27.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.67 CA$16.22

-4.11%

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

$721 €621

$1,117 CA$1,553

-35.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$18.0K CA$25.1K

-16.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$58.1 CA$80.8

48.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$38.77 CA$53.9

-4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$98.5 CA$137

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$113 CA$157

2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,714 CA$2,383

-10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,406 CA$1,956

-13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,596 CA$3,610

3.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$2,318 CA$3,224

-13.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$4,218 CA$5,865

71.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$7,181 CA$9,987

-27.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$3,199 CA$4,448

-26.24%

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 Oakville: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,714 in Oakville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oakville pays 36% 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 $76.0 in Oakville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $373 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 Oakville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Oakville differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,638 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oakville earns 36% 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 $1,714 in Oakville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $1,117 in Oakville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Oakville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Oakville 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 11% less than in Oakville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.