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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,960 in Quebec City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,898 in Quebec City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,837 in Quebec City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 21% more expensive than Quebec City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Quebec City 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$16.70 CA$23.12

5.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$65.4 CA$90.5

4.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$11.15 CA$15.44

26.10%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.79 CA$5.25

-26.65%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.04 CA$2.83

37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.46 CA$2.02

41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.93 CA$8.22

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.28 CA$8.70

-26.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.11 CA$2.92

-41.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.31 CA$4.58

-38.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.27 CA$5.91

-55.04%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.11 CA$4.30

6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$12.79 CA$17.71

44.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$10.80 CA$14.96

-12.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.15 CA$19.59

35.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.98 CA$5.51

-33.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.68 CA$2.32

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$4.22 CA$5.84

-49.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.11 CA$5.68

-30.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.89 CA$2.61

7.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.51 CA$3.48

-26.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.64 CA$3.66

-44.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.58 CA$2.19

-46.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$12.86 CA$17.81

-44.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$11.59 CA$16.05

-32.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.13 CA$4.34

-55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.92 CA$5.42

-41.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.82 CA$3.90

5.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$68.9 CA$95.5

-57.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.78 CA$5.24

21.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.26 CA$3.13

-8.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$31.35 CA$43.41

-6.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.24 CA$1.72

48.39%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$24.9K CA$34.5K

56.66%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$19.7K CA$27.3K

65.86%

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

$188 €162

$86.9 CA$120

116.23%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$38.53 CA$53.4

-40.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$44.57 CA$61.7

-17.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$42.03 CA$58.2

36.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$14.63 CA$20.26

41.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$10.88 CA$15.07

2.85%

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

$721 €620

$845 CA$1,170

-14.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,217 CA$8,609

141.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$61.4 CA$85.0

40.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$53.6 CA$74.2

-30.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$113 CA$156

-9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$128 CA$178

-9.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$905 CA$1,253

69.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$829 CA$1,148

47.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,505 CA$2,083

79.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,157 CA$1,602

73.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$5,881 CA$8,142

22.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,842 CA$3,934

82.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,832 CA$3,921

-16.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.87

-50.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $905 in Quebec City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $65.0 in Quebec City. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $373, 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 21% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,960 including rent). Quebec City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Quebec City earns 20% 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 $905 in Quebec City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $845 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 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,960 in Quebec City versus $2,367 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 21% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.