Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,892 in Medicine Hat versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,788 in Medicine Hat versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,684 in Medicine Hat versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Medicine Hat costs roughly 24% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medicine Hat 38% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.18 CA$21.24

$18.74 €16.33

-19.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 CA$97.7

$69.5 €60.6

0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 CA$14.29

$13.77 €12.00

-25.85%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.27

$3.10 €2.70

21.61%

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

$1.98 CA$2.77

$2.83 €2.47

-30.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.43

$1.88 €1.64

-7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 CA$6.91

$3.98 €3.47

24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 CA$5.26

$4.53 €3.95

-17.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 CA$2.20

$1.27 €1.11

23.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 CA$2.53

$2.16 €1.88

-16.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.13

$1.76 €1.53

108.52%

Eggs

$3.02 CA$4.22

$5.13 €4.47

-41.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 CA$13.77

$17.88 €15.59

-44.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 CA$15.30

$9.65 €8.41

13.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 CA$18.29

$20.15 €17.56

-35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.39

$3.25 €2.84

-3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.23 €1.94

-39.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.20

$2.60 €2.27

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.37

$2.76 €2.40

39.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.73

$2.21 €1.93

20.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 CA$2.19

$2.12 €1.85

-26.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$1.55 €1.35

72.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.18

$0.95 €0.83

64.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.65 CA$16.30

$7.34 €6.40

58.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 CA$18.06

$8.05 €7.01

60.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.51

$1.54 €1.35

62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.30

$2.79 €2.43

10.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 CA$3.20

$3.11 €2.71

-26.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 CA$71.1

$25.86 €22.54

96.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.47

$3.27 €2.85

-2.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$1.48 €1.29

-4.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.87 CA$37.59

$34.27 €29.88

-21.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 CA$1.46

$1.73 €1.51

-39.88%

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

$29.0K CA$40.6K

$36.4K €31.7K

-20.19%

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

$19.2K CA$26.9K

$30.5K €26.6K

-37.01%

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

$183 CA$256

$187 €163

-2.07%

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

$38.32 CA$53.6

$15.14 €13.20

153.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 CA$71.7

$37.69 €32.85

36.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 CA$76.8

$55.9 €48.76

-1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.49 CA$49.64

$17.08 €14.89

107.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 CA$20.53

$11.41 €9.95

28.66%

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

$818 CA$1,144

$997 €869

-17.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.5K

$16.5K €14.4K

-2.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 CA$71.6

$92.6 €80.8

-44.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.14 CA$37.97

$41.22 €35.93

-34.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 CA$95.3

$111 €96.9

-38.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 CA$94.6

$125 €109

-45.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 CA$1,156

$1,707 €1,488

-51.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CA$1,082

$1,286 €1,121

-39.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 CA$1,893

$2,565 €2,236

-47.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 CA$1,739

$1,942 €1,693

-36.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,370 CA$1,916

$7,647 €6,666

-82.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,959 CA$2,740

$5,167 €4,504

-62.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,004 CA$4,202

$2,348 €2,047

27.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.16

41.77%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in Medicine Hat and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medicine Hat pays 28% 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 Medicine Hat vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $336, with Medicine Hat cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medicine Hat vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine Hat and Barcelona differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,892 vs $2,476 including rent). Medicine Hat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Medicine Hat, 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: $827 in Medicine Hat versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $818 in Medicine Hat versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,892 in Medicine Hat versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Medicine Hat but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Medicine Hat 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, Medicine Hat 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 Medicine Hat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.