Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,864 in Thompson versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,795 in Thompson versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,725 in Thompson versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Thompson costs roughly 20% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thompson 39% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.89 CA$23.59

$17.08 €14.72

-1.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$98.6

$69.2 €59.7

2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 CA$15.67

$13.78 €11.87

-18.58%

Cappuccino

$3.71 CA$5.18

$2.76 €2.37

34.42%

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

$1.98 CA$2.77

$2.79 €2.40

-29.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.99 €1.72

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 CA$7.68

$4.36 €3.76

26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 CA$8.21

$4.74 €4.09

24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$1.29 €1.11

65.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.05 €1.77

26.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.93

$1.99 €1.71

77.39%

Eggs

$3.40 CA$4.75

$3.39 €2.92

0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 CA$15.88

$18.81 €16.21

-39.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.53 CA$16.10

$9.36 €8.07

23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 CA$20.44

$19.12 €16.48

-23.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.76

$2.70 €2.32

52.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$2.34 €2.02

-41.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.06

$2.12 €1.83

70.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.10

$2.85 €2.46

28.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.38

$1.97 €1.70

22.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.42

$1.80 €1.55

36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.52

$1.45 €1.25

73.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$0.86 €0.74

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.55

$6.78 €5.84

106.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 CA$17.27

$7.90 €6.81

56.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 CA$4.08

$1.39 €1.20

110.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.26

$2.37 €2.04

28.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.33

$2.92 €2.52

-18.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$88.0

$28.69 €24.72

119.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 CA$4.45

$4.46 €3.84

-28.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$2.05 €1.77

-29.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.94 CA$36.23

$29.55 €25.46

-12.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.64

$1.82 €1.56

-35.71%

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

$25.4K CA$35.5K

$38.8K €33.5K

-34.50%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$33.1K €28.5K

-36.49%

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

$145 CA$202

$189 €163

-23.51%

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

$44.24 CA$61.8

$22.80 €19.65

94.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 CA$86.5

$37.59 €32.39

64.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.95 CA$58.6

$57.7 €49.75

-27.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 CA$16.24

$10.82 €9.33

7.49%

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

$741 CA$1,035

$728 €628

1.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.3K

$14.8K €12.7K

-20.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CA$75.8

$88.6 €76.4

-38.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 CA$55.5

$36.85 €31.75

7.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 CA$119

$102 €87.9

-16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$150

$116 €100

-7.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 CA$977

$1,569 €1,352

-55.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 CA$970

$1,218 €1,050

-43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 CA$1,612

$2,795 €2,409

-58.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 CA$1,598

$1,975 €1,702

-42.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,971 CA$6,942

$7,754 €6,680

-35.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 CA$5,443

$5,176 €4,460

-24.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,556 CA$2,173

$2,343 €2,019

-33.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

3.39

90.56%

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

Last update for Thompson: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Thompson and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 51% 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: $71.0 in Thompson vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $319 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

Thompson vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thompson and Barcelona differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,864 vs $2,337 including rent). Thompson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 51% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $699 in Thompson versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $741 in Thompson versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,864 in Thompson versus $2,337 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.

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, Thompson 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 Thompson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.