Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sydney, NS Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sydney, NS

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,880 in Sydney, NS.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,831 in Sydney, NS.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,782 in Sydney, NS.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 25% more expensive than Sydney, NS, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Sydney, NS 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$11.69 CA$16.02

50.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$61.2 CA$83.8

11.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$7.06 CA$9.67

97.73%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.00 CA$4.12

-8.00%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.20 CA$3.01

25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.98 CA$2.71

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.57 CA$7.64

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.74 CA$7.87

-21.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$2.25 CA$3.09

-44.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.59 CA$3.55

-21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$2.54 CA$3.48

-24.80%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.54 CA$4.85

-4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$6.57 CA$9.01

179.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$8.72 CA$11.95

7.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$13.88 CA$19.02

36.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$7.33 CA$10.05

-64.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.25 CA$1.71

92.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$3.63 CA$4.98

-41.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.43 CA$1.96

88.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.85 CA$1.16

141.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.52 CA$3.45

-29.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.43 CA$3.32

-39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.74 CA$2.38

-47.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$18.69 CA$25.61

-62.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$11.68 CA$16.00

-35.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.85 CA$3.91

-49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$4.29 CA$5.88

-45.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$1.13 CA$1.55

160.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$49.24 CA$67.5

-40.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$4.53 CA$6.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.42 CA$1.95

50.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$25.31 CA$34.67

14.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.16 CA$1.58

62.93%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$24.9K CA$34.2K

56.59%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$20.1K CA$27.5K

61.45%

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

$189 €161

$90.9 CA$124

107.80%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$48.11 CA$65.9

-53.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$76.9 CA$105

-52.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$50.3 CA$68.9

15.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$3.63 CA$4.98

486.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$7.97 CA$10.91

38.14%

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

$731 €622

$741 CA$1,015

-1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$11.8K CA$16.2K

25.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$71.7 CA$98.2

24.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$68.1 CA$93.3

-45.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$104 CA$142

0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$109 CA$149

7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,089 CA$1,491

42.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$811 CA$1,111

49.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,962 CA$2,687

42.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,443 CA$1,977

39.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$5,060 CA$6,933

41.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$3,746 CA$5,132

34.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,560 CA$3,507

-3.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.85

-50.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,089 in Sydney, NS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney, NS pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $61 in Sydney, NS. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $328, 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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sydney, NS differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,880 including rent). Sydney, NS is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sydney, NS earns 4% 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 $1,089 in Sydney, NS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $741 in Sydney, NS. 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 $1,880 in Sydney, NS versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sydney, NS but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sydney, NS 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 Sydney, NS 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 Sydney, NS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.