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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,825 in Thompson.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,799 in Thompson.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,773 in Thompson.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than in Thompson, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Thompson 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$17.18 CA$24.11

-0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$70.9 CA$99.6

-4.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$11.13 CA$15.63

22.55%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$3.87 CA$5.43

-28.17%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$2.06 CA$2.89

36.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.73 CA$2.43

13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$5.53 CA$7.76

-19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$5.72 CA$8.02

-19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.10 CA$2.95

-39.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.67 CA$3.75

-20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$3.50 CA$4.91

-43.14%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$3.52 CA$4.94

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$11.34 CA$15.91

67.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$11.84 CA$16.62

-19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$14.42 CA$20.24

29.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$4.03 CA$5.66

-34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.38 CA$1.94

70.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$3.64 CA$5.11

-42.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.84 CA$5.39

-28.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.38 CA$3.35

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.56 CA$3.60

-29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.50 CA$3.50

-39.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.79 CA$2.52

-50.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$13.85 CA$19.45

-51.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$12.45 CA$17.47

-36.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.81 CA$3.95

-51.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$3.00 CA$4.21

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$2.33 CA$3.27

24.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$62.6 CA$87.9

-54.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$3.25 CA$4.56

40.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.45 CA$2.03

40.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$25.62 CA$35.95

12.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.13 CA$1.58

61.06%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$25.1K CA$35.3K

56.52%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$20.4K CA$28.6K

59.55%

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

$187 €163

$143 CA$200

30.67%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$43.01 CA$60.4

-48.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$61.9 CA$86.8

-41.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$41.37 CA$58.1

39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$11.43 CA$16.04

-5.77%

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

$725 €632

$742 CA$1,041

-2.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$11.7K CA$16.4K

29.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$54.8 CA$77.0

60.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$39.99 CA$56.1

-7.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$87.2 CA$122

18.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$106 CA$149

11.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$700 CA$983

117.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$699 CA$981

75.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$1,149 CA$1,612

137.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$1,145 CA$1,607

73.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$4,532 CA$6,361

64.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$3,120 CA$4,379

68.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,552 CA$2,179

54.14%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Thompson: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $700 in Thompson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 54% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $71.0 in Thompson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $363 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 29% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,825 including rent). Thompson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $700 in Thompson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $742 in Thompson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,825 in Thompson versus $2,359 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 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.