Cost of Living Comparison Between Hearst and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Hearst and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,366 in Hearst versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Hearst versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,450 in Hearst versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs are close between Hearst and Barcelona; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hearst 76% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 CA$23.23

$17.64 €15.01

-3.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$94.8

$68.1 €58.0

1.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$13.96 €11.88

-21.13%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.22

$2.76 €2.35

38.04%

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

$2.04 CA$2.79

$2.76 €2.35

-26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.25

$1.97 €1.67

-16.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 CA$7.61

$4.53 €3.85

22.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CA$8.21

$4.53 €3.85

32.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CA$2.98

$1.24 €1.05

75.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.62

$2.04 €1.73

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.87

$1.91 €1.63

86.39%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$3.39 €2.89

3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 CA$15.53

$18.34 €15.60

-38.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 CA$16.00

$9.39 €7.99

24.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$18.90 €16.08

-22.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.49

$2.63 €2.23

52.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$2.40 €2.04

-41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.08

$2.12 €1.80

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$2.70 €2.30

39.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.31

$2.05 €1.75

17.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.47

$1.78 €1.52

42.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.54

$1.47 €1.25

75.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.33

$0.91 €0.77

86.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 CA$18.97

$7.01 €5.97

97.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$7.59 €6.46

92.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.05

$1.44 €1.22

104.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.15

$2.32 €1.97

30.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$2.94 €2.50

-21.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$86.3

$29.38 €25.00

114.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.46

$4.53 €3.85

-28.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.05

$2.14 €1.82

-29.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.90 CA$35.48

$28.97 €24.65

-10.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.89 €1.61

-38.10%

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

$24.8K CA$34.0K

$39.0K €33.2K

-36.41%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$32.4K €27.6K

-37.52%

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

$142 CA$195

$189 €161

-24.57%

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

$44.44 CA$60.9

$22.24 €18.92

99.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$87.2

$36.57 €31.12

74.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 CA$57.8

$58.0 €49.38

-27.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 CA$20.45

$21.30 €18.13

-29.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$15.82

$11.01 €9.37

4.90%

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

$745 CA$1,020

$731 €622

1.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$14.8K €12.6K

-21.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$73.3

$89.3 €76.0

-40.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 CA$53.4

$37.38 €31.81

4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$120

$105 €89.0

-16.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$116 €99.0

-6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 CA$1,834

$1,551 €1,320

-13.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 CA$1,638

$1,216 €1,035

-1.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 CA$2,773

$2,799 €2,382

-27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CA$2,488

$2,008 €1,709

-9.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 CA$5,887

$7,161 €6,094

-39.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,214 CA$4,403

$5,021 €4,273

-35.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 CA$4,521

$2,462 €2,095

34.01%

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 Hearst: April 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Hearst and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Hearst vs $68 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $316 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

Hearst vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hearst pays 34% 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: $1,339 in Hearst versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $745 in Hearst versus $731 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $69.0 in Hearst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,366 in Hearst, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Hearst. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Hearst 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.

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