Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Saguenay and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,320 in Saguenay versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,369 in Saguenay versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,418 in Saguenay versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Living in Saguenay costs roughly 44% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saguenay is 2% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.38 CA$18.34

$17.64 €15.01

-24.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 CA$61.5

$68.1 €58.0

-34.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 CA$15.25

$13.96 €11.88

-20.27%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.18

$2.76 €2.35

36.96%

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

$1.52 CA$2.08

$2.76 €2.35

-44.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 CA$1.78

$1.97 €1.67

-34.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 CA$7.39

$4.53 €3.85

18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 CA$7.25

$4.53 €3.85

16.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$2.97

$1.24 €1.05

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 CA$4.08

$2.04 €1.73

46.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CA$6.09

$1.91 €1.63

132.98%

Eggs

$2.53 CA$3.47

$3.39 €2.89

-25.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 CA$17.50

$18.34 €15.60

-30.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 CA$12.19

$9.39 €7.99

-5.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 CA$18.99

$18.90 €16.08

-26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.68

$2.63 €2.23

57.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.81

$2.40 €2.04

-45.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.66

$2.12 €1.80

94.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.61

$2.70 €2.30

51.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CA$2.53

$2.05 €1.75

-10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.26

$1.78 €1.52

-7.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.58

$1.47 €1.25

77.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 CA$1.15

$0.91 €0.77

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.16 CA$16.66

$7.01 €5.97

73.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 CA$15.13

$7.59 €6.46

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.23

$1.44 €1.22

114.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.71

$2.32 €1.97

-15.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 CA$3.72

$2.94 €2.50

-7.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.1 CA$76.8

$29.38 €25.00

90.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 CA$4.99

$4.53 €3.85

-19.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 CA$2.78

$2.14 €1.82

-5.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.86 CA$42.28

$28.97 €24.65

6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.59

$1.89 €1.61

-38.62%

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

$25.2K CA$34.5K

$39.0K €33.2K

-35.53%

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

$20.5K CA$28.1K

$32.4K €27.6K

-36.80%

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

$86.1 CA$118

$189 €161

-54.40%

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

$38.78 CA$53.1

$22.24 €18.92

74.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.45 CA$59.5

$36.57 €31.12

18.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.59 CA$44.65

$58.0 €49.38

-43.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.01 CA$19.20

$21.30 €18.13

-34.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 CA$13.09

$11.01 €9.37

-13.26%

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

$600 CA$822

$731 €622

-17.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,285 CA$8,611

$14.8K €12.6K

-57.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 CA$82.9

$89.3 €76.0

-32.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 CA$72.2

$37.38 €31.81

40.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 CA$133

$105 €89.0

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 CA$177

$116 €99.0

11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 CA$841

$1,551 €1,320

-60.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 CA$404

$1,216 €1,035

-75.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 CA$1,792

$2,799 €2,382

-53.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 CA$1,492

$2,008 €1,709

-45.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,853 CA$8,019

$7,161 €6,094

-18.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,609 CA$4,944

$5,021 €4,273

-28.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,650 CA$3,630

$2,462 €2,095

7.60%

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 Saguenay: April 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Saguenay and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saguenay pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45 in Saguenay vs $68 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $316, 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

Saguenay vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saguenay and Barcelona differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,320 vs $2,356 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Saguenay pays 8% 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: $614 in Saguenay versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Saguenay versus $731 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,320 in Saguenay versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saguenay but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saguenay 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, Saguenay 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 Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.