Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,472 in New Westminster versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,911 in New Westminster versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,351 in New Westminster versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in New Westminster is roughly 4% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Westminster 84% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 CA$20.63

$17.58 €15.14

-15.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.7 CA$101

$68.4 €58.9

6.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 CA$13.43

$14.06 €12.10

-31.29%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.39

$2.78 €2.39

39.57%

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

$2.05 CA$2.85

$2.80 €2.41

-26.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$2.06 €1.78

-31.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 CA$8.47

$4.46 €3.84

36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 CA$9.28

$4.61 €3.97

44.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.25

$1.24 €1.07

87.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 CA$3.40

$2.03 €1.75

20.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.21

$1.92 €1.65

94.79%

Eggs

$3.42 CA$4.76

$3.31 €2.85

3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 CA$14.12

$18.43 €15.87

-44.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 CA$14.26

$9.49 €8.17

8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.01 CA$13.93

$19.16 €16.49

-47.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 CA$4.28

$2.64 €2.27

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$2.45 €2.11

-43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.12 €1.83

39.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.19

$2.85 €2.45

30.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CA$3.38

$2.04 €1.75

19.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CA$3.09

$1.85 €1.59

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 CA$2.62

$1.47 €1.27

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.94

$0.84 €0.73

151.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.99 CA$22.23

$7.14 €6.15

123.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 CA$17.52

$7.88 €6.79

59.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.38 €1.19

59.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.05

$2.31 €1.99

25.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 CA$3.61

$2.98 €2.57

-12.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 CA$133

$29.26 €25.19

227.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 CA$3.16

$4.60 €3.96

-50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 CA$2.31

$2.07 €1.78

-19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.28 CA$32.37

$29.18 €25.12

-20.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.84 €1.58

-27.72%

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

$24.7K CA$34.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-36.63%

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

$20.2K CA$28.1K

$32.7K €28.1K

-38.22%

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

$117 CA$163

$188 €162

-37.49%

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

$45.91 CA$63.8

$22.93 €19.74

100.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 CA$92.2

$36.71 €31.61

80.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.64 CA$48.17

$57.4 €49.39

-39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.46 CA$25.67

$20.70 €17.82

-10.82%

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 CA$16.69

$11.19 €9.64

7.24%

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

$820 CA$1,141

$721 €621

13.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,202 CA$11.4K

$15.0K €13.0K

-45.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.31 CA$65.8

$86.2 €74.2

-45.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.02 CA$47.31

$37.07 €31.92

-8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 CA$114

$102 €87.8

-19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$144

$116 €99.8

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 CA$2,263

$1,534 €1,320

6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 CA$1,885

$1,220 €1,051

11.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,968 CA$4,127

$2,696 €2,321

10.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 CA$3,758

$2,013 €1,733

34.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,826 CA$6,712

$7,220 €6,216

-33.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,068 CA$5,657

$5,189 €4,467

-21.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,133 CA$4,356

$2,359 €2,031

32.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

3.39

89.97%

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

Last update for New Westminster: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in New Westminster and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Westminster pays 33% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in New Westminster vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 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

New Westminster vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Westminster and Barcelona differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,472 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

New Westminster pays 33% 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: $1,627 in New Westminster versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $820 in New Westminster versus $721 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 New Westminster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,472 in New Westminster, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in New Westminster. 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, New Westminster 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in New Westminster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.