Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surrey, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Surrey: $2,338 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona, Spain
Surrey, Canada
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Surrey
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,338
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Surrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Surrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,338 in Surrey.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Surrey $2,338

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,564 in Surrey.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Surrey $3,564

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,791 in Surrey.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Surrey $4,791

Living in Barcelona is roughly 5% more expensive than in Surrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Surrey 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$18.11 CA$25.31
-2.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$57.5 CA$80.3
17.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$10.06 CA$14.06
34.49%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.52 CA$4.92
-9.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$2.01 CA$2.81
44.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.50 CA$2.10
26.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$6.01 CA$8.40
-33.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$5.63 CA$7.87
-19.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$2.47 CA$3.46
-46.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.10 CA$2.94
-3.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$3.64 CA$5.09
-49.18%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$3.22 CA$4.50
50.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$9.77 CA$13.65
71.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$10.57 CA$14.78
-13.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$20.34 CA$28.42
-3.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$3.33 CA$4.65
-10.51%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.30 CA$1.82
55.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$2.94 CA$4.10
-8.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$3.02 CA$4.23
-7.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.59 CA$3.62
-19.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.15 CA$3.01
-3.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.00 CA$2.80
-27.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.83 CA$2.56
-48.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$14.11 CA$19.72
-51.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$14.20 CA$19.85
-44.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$2.45 CA$3.43
-42.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$3.23 CA$4.51
-21.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$2.55 CA$3.57
23.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
$110 CA$154
-76.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$2.64 CA$3.69
13.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.60 CA$2.23
-6.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$28.02 CA$39.15
19.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.38 CA$1.92
30.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$28.2K CA$39.3K
17.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$21.7K CA$30.3K
46.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$187 CA$261
-3.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$37.14 CA$51.9
-62.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$65.7 CA$91.9
-48.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$31.83 CA$44.48
61.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$25.35 CA$35.42
-37.04%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$12.18 CA$17.02
-9.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$668 CA$934
37.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$12.1K CA$16.9K
36.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$55.0 CA$76.8
58.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$61.1 CA$85.4
-36.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$99.5 CA$139
6.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$90.8 CA$127
31.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
$1,376 CA$1,923
23.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$1,094 CA$1,528
23.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
$2,606 CA$3,641
-0.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
$2,095 CA$2,927
-1.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
$6,631 CA$9,265
4.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
$5,166 CA$7,218
-0.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Surrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$3,156 CA$4,410
-29.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
4.87
-32.65%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Surrey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Surrey
$1.1K 19.3% $262
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Surrey
$357 10.9% $35
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Surrey
$273 1.8% $4.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Surrey
$289 26.9% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Surrey
$138 12.7% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Surrey
$56 23.6% $17
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Surrey
$131 171% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,376 in Surrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $57 in Surrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $357, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇨🇦 Surrey
🕒 Local time
23:14 11:14 PM
15:14 3:14 PM
8 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
517,887
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Surrey 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Surrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Surrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,338 in Surrey, so Surrey is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Surrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,376 in Surrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Surrey?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $668 in Surrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to Surrey?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Surrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Surrey?
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.

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