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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,849 in Thompson.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,821 in Thompson.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,794 in Thompson.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than Thompson, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Thompson 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.81

$16.72 CA$22.91

4.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.3

$70.1 CA$96.1

-0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.81

$10.87 CA$14.90

27.97%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.33

$3.70 CA$5.08

-25.95%

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

$2.70 €2.29

$1.99 CA$2.72

35.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.72

$1.70 CA$2.33

19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.83

$5.49 CA$7.52

-17.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.91

$5.92 CA$8.12

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.20 CA$3.01

-41.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.78

$2.61 CA$3.57

-19.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.69

$3.55 CA$4.87

-43.94%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.93

$3.40 CA$4.66

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.80

$11.17 CA$15.31

66.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €7.99

$11.77 CA$16.12

-20.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.88

$14.90 CA$20.41

25.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.21

$4.13 CA$5.66

-36.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.03

$1.36 CA$1.86

75.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$3.65 CA$5.00

-40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.39

$3.71 CA$5.08

-24.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.44 CA$3.34

-16.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.59

$2.55 CA$3.50

-26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.23

$2.54 CA$3.49

-42.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.78

$1.77 CA$2.42

-48.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.79

$13.79 CA$18.89

-50.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.55

$13.23 CA$18.12

-41.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.17

$2.95 CA$4.05

-53.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.98

$3.14 CA$4.31

-25.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.44

$2.38 CA$3.26

21.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.66

$63.8 CA$87.3

-54.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.76

$3.11 CA$4.25

42.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.81

$1.48 CA$2.03

44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.59

$25.52 CA$34.96

13.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.19 CA$1.63

59.66%

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

$37.9K €32.2K

$25.4K CA$34.8K

49.12%

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

$33.3K €28.3K

$20.7K CA$28.4K

60.87%

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

$186 €158

$143 CA$196

30.07%

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

$22.17 €18.82

$43.14 CA$59.1

-48.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.00

$62.4 CA$85.5

-41.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.57

$42.34 CA$58.0

37.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.62

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.43

$11.63 CA$15.94

-4.56%

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

$705 €598

$727 CA$996

-3.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €12.9K

$11.9K CA$16.3K

27.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.4

$55.3 CA$75.7

56.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.31

$39.28 CA$53.8

-6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.3

$85.7 CA$117

21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.0

$106 CA$146

8.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,306

$698 CA$956

120.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,055

$692 CA$948

79.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,316

$1,164 CA$1,594

134.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,708

$1,156 CA$1,584

74.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,075

$5,081 CA$6,962

40.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,112

$4,200 CA$5,754

15.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,101

$1,628 CA$2,230

52.00%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Thompson: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $698 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: $68 in Barcelona vs $70 in Thompson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $366 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,849 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $698 in Thompson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $727 in Thompson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,849 in Thompson versus $2,356 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 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.