Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,806 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Thompson, Canada
Barcelona, Spain
Thompson
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,806
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thompson and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thompson and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Thompson versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Thompson $1,806
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,737 in Thompson versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Thompson $2,737
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,669 in Thompson versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Thompson $3,669
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Thompson costs roughly 26% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thompson 33% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.00 CA$25.18
$17.59 €15.76
2.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.4 CA$90.1
$67.5 €60.5
-4.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.52 CA$14.71
$13.53 €12.12
-22.25%
Cappuccino
$3.72 CA$5.20
$3.19 €2.86
16.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 CA$2.76
$2.91 €2.61
-32.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.24
$1.89 €1.70
-15.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.16 CA$7.22
$4.01 €3.59
28.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 CA$8.04
$4.53 €4.06
26.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 CA$2.93
$1.31 €1.17
59.54%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 CA$3.58
$2.02 €1.81
26.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.51 CA$4.91
$1.85 €1.66
89.73%
Eggs
$3.49 CA$4.88
$4.83 €4.33
-27.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.29 CA$14.40
$16.74 €15.00
-38.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.63 CA$16.27
$9.12 €8.17
27.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.89 CA$20.82
$19.64 €17.60
-24.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.93 CA$5.50
$2.98 €2.67
31.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 CA$1.91
$2.02 €1.81
-32.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.98 CA$5.56
$2.70 €2.42
47.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.82 CA$5.34
$2.80 €2.51
36.43%
Potato (1kg)
$2.35 CA$3.29
$2.09 €1.87
12.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 CA$3.09
$2.07 €1.85
6.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.49 CA$3.48
$1.46 €1.31
70.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.32
$0.94 €0.84
76.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.00 CA$19.58
$6.87 €6.16
103.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.62 CA$17.65
$7.89 €7.07
59.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.83 CA$3.96
$1.41 €1.26
100.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 CA$4.44
$2.54 €2.27
25.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 CA$3.22
$3.14 €2.82
-26.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.9 CA$93.5
$25.45 €22.80
162.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 CA$4.21
$2.99 €2.68
0.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 CA$1.93
$1.49 €1.34
-7.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.88 CA$33.39
$33.37 €29.91
-28.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 CA$1.54
$1.80 €1.61
-38.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.4K
$33.2K €29.7K
-15.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K CA$33.0K
$31.7K €28.4K
-25.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 CA$191
$180 €162
-24.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.10 CA$54.7
$13.84 €12.40
182.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.9 CA$76.8
$33.70 €30.20
62.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.46 CA$52.4
$51.5 €46.16
-27.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.81 CA$24.91
$15.96 €14.30
11.59%
Cinema Ticket
$10.46 CA$14.63
$10.99 €9.85
-4.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$664 CA$928
$917 €821
-27.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K CA$16.0K
$16.5K €14.8K
-30.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.4 CA$76.1
$87.0 €78.0
-37.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.02 CA$54.6
$38.51 €34.51
1.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 CA$122
$106 €94.8
-17.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 CA$144
$120 €107
-14.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$687 CA$961
$1,699 €1,523
-59.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 CA$942
$1,355 €1,214
-50.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,109 CA$1,551
$2,603 €2,332
-57.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,114 CA$1,558
$2,062 €1,848
-46.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,361 CA$6,100
$6,915 €6,196
-36.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,358 CA$4,697
$5,128 €4,595
-34.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thompson
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,567 CA$2,192
$2,211 €1,981
-29.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.68
3.28
42.68%

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

Last update for Thompson: October 24, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Thompson
$674
Barcelona
$1.4K 101% $682
Groceries & Markets
Thompson
$358
Barcelona
$322 10.2% $36
Eating Out
Thompson
$272
Barcelona
$268 1.4% $3.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thompson
$230
Barcelona
$228 1% $2.3
Clothing & Footwear
Thompson
$128
Barcelona
$158 23.8% $30
Getting Around
Thompson
$86
Barcelona
$48 43.6% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Thompson
$58
Barcelona
$74 25.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Thompson and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Thompson vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $322, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Thompson
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
08:04 8:04 AM
14:04 2:04 PM
6 h ahead of Thompson
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,829
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thompson Barcelona 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Thompson
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Thompson vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Thompson and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,806 in Thompson and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Thompson is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Thompson. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Thompson and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $687 in Thompson versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Thompson and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $664 in Thompson versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,806 in Thompson versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thompson but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Thompson the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Thompson and Barcelona?
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.
How do I decide between Thompson and Barcelona?
It comes down to priorities – Thompson wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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