Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quebec City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quebec City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,886 in Quebec City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,916 in Quebec City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,947 in Quebec City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than in Quebec City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Quebec City 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$20.07 CA$28.08

-6.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$67.0 CA$93.7

3.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$11.45 CA$16.02

20.26%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.80 CA$5.32

-18.42%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.17 CA$3.04

30.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.50 CA$2.10

25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.85 CA$8.18

-31.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.79 CA$8.10

-21.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.17 CA$3.04

-41.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.88 CA$4.03

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.11 CA$5.75

-57.18%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.18 CA$4.45

61.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$9.15 CA$12.80

95.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.88 CA$15.22

-11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.48 CA$14.66

92.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.35 CA$6.08

-25.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.54 CA$2.15

44.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.77 CA$5.27

-31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.06 CA$5.68

-32.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.99 CA$4.19

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.92 CA$4.08

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.84 CA$3.97

-45.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.46 CA$2.05

-34.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$15.16 CA$21.21

-51.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.73 CA$16.41

-31.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.17 CA$4.43

-51.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.49 CA$4.88

-20.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.94 CA$4.11

5.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$72.3 CA$101

-64.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.92 CA$4.09

11.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.45 CA$2.03

2.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$35.17 CA$49.19

-2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.30 CA$1.82

33.08%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$28.9K CA$40.4K

26.01%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

40.65%

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

$187 €163

$102 CA$142

84.19%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$32.20 CA$45.05

-52.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$45.88 CA$64.2

-17.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$36.94 CA$51.7

51.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$15.28 CA$21.38

11.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.10 CA$15.53

2.79%

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

$997 €869

$707 CA$990

40.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,276 CA$13.0K

78.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$61.2 CA$85.6

51.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$52.5 CA$73.4

-21.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$91.7 CA$128

21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$110 CA$154

13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,030 CA$1,440

65.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$773 CA$1,081

66.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,591 CA$2,226

61.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,287 CA$1,800

50.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$5,225 CA$7,309

46.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,758 CA$3,859

87.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,054 CA$4,272

-23.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.45

-28.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,030 in Quebec City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 30% 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 $67.0 in Quebec City. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $349, 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 Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Quebec City differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,886 including rent). Quebec City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Quebec City. 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 $1,030 in Quebec City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $707 in Quebec City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,886 in Quebec City versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quebec City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Quebec City 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 Quebec City 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 Quebec City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.