Cost of Living Comparison Between Hay River, NT and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Hay River, NT and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Hay River, NT versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,340 in Hay River, NT versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,383 in Hay River, NT versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Hay River, NT costs roughly 3% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hay River, NT 71% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.77 CA$23.32

$17.58 €15.14

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 CA$96.9

$68.4 €58.9

1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 CA$15.39

$14.06 €12.10

-21.27%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.11

$2.78 €2.39

32.37%

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

$2.07 CA$2.87

$2.80 €2.41

-26.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.39

$2.06 €1.78

-16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 CA$7.62

$4.46 €3.84

22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 CA$8.36

$4.61 €3.97

30.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.06

$1.24 €1.07

77.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.76

$2.03 €1.75

33.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.01

$1.92 €1.65

88.02%

Eggs

$3.40 CA$4.73

$3.31 €2.85

2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 CA$15.39

$18.43 €15.87

-39.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.05

$9.49 €8.17

21.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 CA$20.07

$19.16 €16.49

-24.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.51

$2.64 €2.27

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.99

$2.45 €2.11

-41.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.03

$2.12 €1.83

70.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.12

$2.85 €2.45

29.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.31

$2.04 €1.75

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.53

$1.85 €1.59

37.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.52

$1.47 €1.27

72.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$0.84 €0.73

113.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 CA$19.75

$7.14 €6.15

98.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 CA$17.87

$7.88 €6.79

63.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$3.97

$1.38 €1.19

107.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.39

$2.31 €1.99

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 CA$3.38

$2.98 €2.57

-18.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 CA$86.8

$29.26 €25.19

113.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CA$4.35

$4.60 €3.96

-31.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$1.99

$2.07 €1.78

-30.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.90 CA$36.01

$29.18 €25.12

-11.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.84 €1.58

-36.41%

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

$24.8K CA$34.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

-36.39%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$32.7K €28.1K

-36.85%

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

$142 CA$197

$188 €162

-24.43%

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

$44.25 CA$61.5

$22.93 €19.74

92.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CA$87.6

$36.71 €31.61

71.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 CA$58.7

$57.4 €49.39

-26.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 CA$15.82

$11.19 €9.64

1.70%

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

$727 CA$1,012

$721 €621

0.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.6K

$15.0K €13.0K

-20.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 CA$74.6

$86.2 €74.2

-37.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 CA$55.6

$37.07 €31.92

7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 CA$122

$102 €87.8

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$151

$116 €99.8

-6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 CA$1,846

$1,534 €1,320

-13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 CA$1,610

$1,220 €1,051

-5.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 CA$2,845

$2,696 €2,321

-24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 CA$2,495

$2,013 €1,733

-10.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,755 CA$6,613

$7,220 €6,216

-34.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,160 CA$5,786

$5,189 €4,467

-19.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 CA$6,076

$2,359 €2,031

85.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

3.39

90.56%

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

Last update for Hay River, NT: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Hay River, NT and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hay River, NT pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Hay River, NT vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $318 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

Hay River, NT vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hay River, NT and Barcelona differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,367 including rent). Hay River, NT is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hay River, NT pays 85% 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: $1,327 in Hay River, NT versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Hay River, NT versus $721 in Barcelona. 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 $2,296 in Hay River, NT versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hay River, NT but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hay River, NT 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, Hay River, NT and Barcelona 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 Hay River, NT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.