Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,085 in Montreal versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,174 in Montreal versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,262 in Montreal versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Montreal costs roughly 10% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 56% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 CA$23.24

$17.66 €15.46

-6.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 CA$104

$69.7 €61.0

6.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.40

$14.16 €12.40

-22.74%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.41

$2.80 €2.45

37.14%

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

$2.14 CA$3.01

$2.81 €2.46

-23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$2.06 €1.81

-29.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 CA$8.63

$4.60 €4.03

33.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 CA$9.47

$4.69 €4.11

43.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CA$3.31

$1.23 €1.08

91.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 CA$4.69

$2.03 €1.78

64.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.27

$1.98 €1.73

88.89%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.77

$3.49 €3.05

-2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 CA$22.93

$18.33 €16.05

-11.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.62

$9.83 €8.61

20.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 CA$22.01

$19.13 €16.75

-18.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.20

$2.73 €2.39

35.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.39

$2.38 €2.09

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.79

$2.08 €1.82

97.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 CA$6.20

$2.75 €2.41

60.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.93

$1.96 €1.72

42.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.72

$1.79 €1.57

47.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CA$3.22

$1.48 €1.29

54.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.51

$0.91 €0.80

95.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.17 CA$18.53

$7.13 €6.25

84.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 CA$14.97

$7.88 €6.90

35.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.20

$1.38 €1.21

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CA$4.83

$2.39 €2.09

43.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.95

$3.01 €2.64

-6.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 CA$102

$29.35 €25.71

148.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$4.36 €3.82

-19.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$2.13 €1.86

-31.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 CA$48.26

$29.60 €25.93

15.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.82 €1.60

-32.97%

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

$25.3K CA$35.5K

$37.9K €33.2K

-33.35%

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

$22.1K CA$31.1K

$32.4K €28.4K

-31.64%

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

$76.5 CA$108

$189 €166

-59.53%

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

$35.60 CA$50.1

$22.29 €19.52

59.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 CA$60.5

$37.16 €32.55

15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.39 CA$61.1

$58.0 €50.8

-25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.83 CA$23.68

$20.66 €18.09

-18.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 CA$15.60

$10.87 €9.52

2.02%

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

$625 CA$879

$706 €618

-11.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,896 CA$8,296

$14.9K €13.0K

-60.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 CA$88.8

$89.4 €78.3

-29.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 CA$62.6

$36.60 €32.06

21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$104 €91.1

-1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$166

$119 €105

-0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,699

$1,579 €1,383

-23.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 CA$1,358

$1,238 €1,084

-22.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 CA$2,858

$2,712 €2,375

-25.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 CA$2,219

$2,039 €1,786

-22.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,085 CA$7,155

$7,527 €6,592

-32.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,783 CA$5,324

$5,239 €4,588

-27.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,890 CA$4,066

$2,364 €2,070

22.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

3.39

47.79%

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

Last update for Montreal: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Montreal and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Montreal vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $320 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

Montreal vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal and Barcelona differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,085 vs $2,320 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Montreal, 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: $1,207 in Montreal versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $625 in Montreal versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,085 in Montreal versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal 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, Montreal 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.