Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,960 in Quebec City versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,898 in Quebec City versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,837 in Quebec City versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Quebec City costs roughly 17% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Quebec City 46% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 CA$23.12

$17.58 €15.12

-5.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 CA$90.5

$68.4 €58.9

-4.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.44

$14.06 €12.09

-20.70%

Cappuccino

$3.79 CA$5.25

$2.78 €2.39

36.33%

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

$2.04 CA$2.83

$2.80 €2.41

-27.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$2.06 €1.78

-29.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.22

$4.46 €3.84

32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 CA$8.70

$4.61 €3.96

36.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$1.24 €1.07

70.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 CA$4.58

$2.03 €1.74

63.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.91

$1.92 €1.65

122.40%

Eggs

$3.11 CA$4.30

$3.31 €2.85

-6.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.79 CA$17.71

$18.43 €15.85

-30.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.80 CA$14.96

$9.49 €8.16

13.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 CA$19.59

$19.16 €16.48

-26.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.51

$2.64 €2.27

50.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CA$2.32

$2.45 €2.11

-31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.84

$2.12 €1.82

99.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.68

$2.85 €2.45

44.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.61

$2.04 €1.75

-7.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.48

$1.85 €1.59

35.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$1.47 €1.26

79.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.19

$0.84 €0.73

88.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 CA$17.81

$7.14 €6.14

80.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 CA$16.05

$7.88 €6.78

47.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.34

$1.38 €1.19

126.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CA$5.42

$2.31 €1.99

69.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 CA$3.90

$2.98 €2.56

-5.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 CA$95.5

$29.26 €25.17

135.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 CA$5.24

$4.60 €3.95

-17.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 CA$3.13

$2.07 €1.78

9.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.35 CA$43.41

$29.18 €25.10

7.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$1.84 €1.58

-32.61%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

-36.17%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$32.7K €28.1K

-39.71%

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

$86.9 CA$120

$188 €162

-53.75%

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

$38.53 CA$53.4

$22.93 €19.73

68.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.57 CA$61.7

$36.71 €31.58

21.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 CA$58.2

$57.4 €49.35

-26.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 CA$20.26

$20.70 €17.80

-29.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 CA$15.07

$11.19 €9.63

-2.77%

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

$845 CA$1,170

$721 €620

17.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 CA$8,609

$15.0K €12.9K

-58.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 CA$85.0

$86.2 €74.2

-28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.2

$37.07 €31.89

44.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 CA$156

$102 €87.8

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 CA$178

$116 €99.7

10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 CA$1,253

$1,534 €1,319

-40.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 CA$1,148

$1,220 €1,050

-32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 CA$2,083

$2,696 €2,319

-44.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 CA$1,602

$2,013 €1,732

-42.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,881 CA$8,142

$7,220 €6,211

-18.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,842 CA$3,934

$5,189 €4,463

-45.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,832 CA$3,921

$2,359 €2,029

20.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

3.39

102.65%

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

Last update for Quebec City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $905 in Quebec City and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Quebec City vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $318, with Barcelona 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

Quebec City vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quebec City and Barcelona differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,960 vs $2,367 including rent). Quebec City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Quebec City pays 20% 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: $905 in Quebec City versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $845 in Quebec City 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 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,960 in Quebec City versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quebec City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Quebec City 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, Quebec City 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 Quebec City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.