Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,806 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Thompson

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 Thompson actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,806 in Thompson.

Barcelona $2,453
Thompson $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,737 in Thompson.

Barcelona $3,509
Thompson $2,737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,669 in Thompson.

Barcelona $4,564
Thompson $3,669

Living in Barcelona is roughly 36% more expensive than in Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Thompson 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.78

$18.00 CA$25.16

-2.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$64.4 CA$90.0

4.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.14

$10.52 CA$14.70

28.61%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$3.72 CA$5.20

-14.25%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$1.97 CA$2.75

47.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.60 CA$2.24

18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$5.16 CA$7.21

-22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$5.75 CA$8.03

-21.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$2.09 CA$2.93

-37.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.56 CA$3.58

-21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$3.51 CA$4.91

-47.29%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.34

$3.49 CA$4.88

38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.02

$10.29 CA$14.38

62.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.18

$11.63 CA$16.26

-21.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.62

$14.89 CA$20.80

31.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$3.93 CA$5.49

-24.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.37 CA$1.91

47.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$3.98 CA$5.56

-32.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$3.82 CA$5.34

-26.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.35 CA$3.29

-11.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.21 CA$3.09

-6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.49 CA$3.48

-41.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.66 CA$2.32

-43.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.17

$14.00 CA$19.56

-50.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.08

$12.62 CA$17.64

-37.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.83 CA$3.96

-50.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$3.18 CA$4.44

-20.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$2.30 CA$3.22

36.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.83

$66.9 CA$93.5

-61.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$3.01 CA$4.21

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.38 CA$1.93

7.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.95

$23.88 CA$33.37

39.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.10 CA$1.53

63.64%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

$28.2K CA$39.4K

17.71%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$23.6K CA$33.0K

34.43%

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

$180 €162

$136 CA$190

32.37%

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

$13.84 €12.42

$39.10 CA$54.7

-64.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.24

$54.9 CA$76.7

-38.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.22

$37.46 CA$52.3

37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.32

$17.81 CA$24.88

-10.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.87

$10.46 CA$14.61

5.07%

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

$917 €823

$664 CA$927

38.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$11.4K CA$16.0K

44.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.1

$54.4 CA$76.0

60.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.55

$39.02 CA$54.5

-1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.9

$87.4 CA$122

21.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$103 CA$144

16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,525

$687 CA$960

147.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,216

$674 CA$941

101.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,335

$1,109 CA$1,550

134.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,851

$1,114 CA$1,556

85.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,205

$4,361 CA$6,094

58.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,601

$3,358 CA$4,693

52.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,984

$1,567 CA$2,190

41.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

4.68

-29.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Thompson

$674 37.3% 50.3% $682

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Thompson

$358 19.8% 11.3% $36

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Thompson

$272 15.1% 1.4% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Thompson

$230 12.8% 1% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Thompson

$128 7.1% 19.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Thompson

$58 3.2% 20.6% $15

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 77.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $687 in Thompson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $64 in Thompson. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $358, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

09:10 9:10 AM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

12,829

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Thompson 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,806 in Thompson, so Thompson is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $687 in Thompson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $664 in Thompson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,806 in Thompson versus $2,453 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.

It comes down to priorities – Thompson wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.