Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Thompson Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Thompson

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,864 in Thompson.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,795 in Thompson.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,725 in Thompson.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Thompson 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$16.89 CA$23.59

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$70.6 CA$98.6

-1.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$11.22 CA$15.67

22.82%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.71 CA$5.18

-25.61%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.98 CA$2.77

40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.63 CA$2.28

22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.50 CA$7.68

-20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$5.88 CA$8.21

-19.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.13 CA$2.98

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.60 CA$3.63

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.53 CA$4.93

-43.63%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.40 CA$4.75

-0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$11.37 CA$15.88

65.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$11.53 CA$16.10

-18.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$14.63 CA$20.44

30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$4.13 CA$5.76

-34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.37 CA$1.91

70.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.62 CA$5.06

-41.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.65 CA$5.10

-21.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.42 CA$3.38

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.45 CA$3.42

-26.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.52 CA$3.52

-42.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.72 CA$2.41

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$14.00 CA$19.55

-51.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$12.36 CA$17.27

-36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.92 CA$4.08

-52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.05 CA$4.26

-22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.39 CA$3.33

22.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$63.0 CA$88.0

-54.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.19 CA$4.45

39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.44 CA$2.01

42.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$25.94 CA$36.23

13.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.17 CA$1.64

55.56%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$25.4K CA$35.5K

52.67%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$21.0K CA$29.4K

57.47%

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

$189 €163

$145 CA$202

30.74%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$44.24 CA$61.8

-48.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$61.9 CA$86.5

-39.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$41.95 CA$58.6

37.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$11.63 CA$16.24

-6.96%

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

$728 €628

$741 CA$1,035

-1.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$11.7K CA$16.3K

26.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$54.3 CA$75.8

63.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$39.75 CA$55.5

-7.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$85.0 CA$119

20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$108 CA$150

7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$699 CA$977

124.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$694 CA$970

75.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,154 CA$1,612

142.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,144 CA$1,598

72.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,971 CA$6,942

55.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$3,897 CA$5,443

32.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,556 CA$2,173

50.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.46

-47.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Thompson: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $699 in Thompson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 51% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $71.0 in Thompson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $361 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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Thompson differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,864 including rent). Thompson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 51% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $699 in Thompson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $741 in Thompson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,864 in Thompson versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thompson but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Thompson 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 Thompson 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 Thompson 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.