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: $1,847 in Thompson versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,781 in Thompson versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,716 in Thompson versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Living in Thompson costs roughly 22% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thompson 37% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 CA$22.76

$17.64 €14.97

-5.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$97.7

$68.1 €57.8

4.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.42

$13.96 €11.86

-19.41%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.32

$2.76 €2.35

40.58%

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

$1.98 CA$2.71

$2.76 €2.34

-28.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.34

$1.97 €1.67

-13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.60

$4.53 €3.84

22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.28

$4.53 €3.85

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.89

$1.24 €1.05

70.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$2.04 €1.73

31.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.85

$1.91 €1.62

85.34%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.61

$3.39 €2.88

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.52

$18.34 €15.57

-38.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 CA$16.38

$9.39 €7.97

27.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$19.84

$18.90 €16.04

-23.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.48

$2.63 €2.23

52.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.93

$2.40 €2.04

-41.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.90

$2.12 €1.80

68.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.12

$2.70 €2.29

38.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$2.05 €1.74

20.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.51

$1.78 €1.51

43.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.56

$1.47 €1.25

76.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.45

$0.91 €0.77

96.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.86 CA$18.98

$7.01 €5.96

97.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$17.92

$7.59 €6.44

72.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$3.98

$1.44 €1.22

101.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.25

$2.32 €1.97

33.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.34

$2.94 €2.50

-17.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 CA$86.2

$29.38 €24.94

114.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.31

$4.53 €3.84

-30.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$2.14 €1.81

-30.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.65 CA$35.13

$28.97 €24.59

-11.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.61

$1.89 €1.61

-37.57%

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

$24.8K CA$34.0K

$39.0K €33.1K

-36.36%

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

$20.5K CA$28.0K

$32.4K €27.5K

-36.92%

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

$143 CA$196

$189 €160

-24.09%

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

$43.17 CA$59.1

$22.24 €18.88

94.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 CA$86.8

$36.57 €31.05

73.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 CA$56.6

$58.0 €49.26

-28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 CA$15.39

$11.01 €9.35

2.09%

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

$749 CA$1,026

$731 €621

2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$14.8K €12.6K

-20.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$75.4

$89.3 €75.8

-38.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 CA$53.5

$37.38 €31.73

4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 CA$117

$105 €88.8

-18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$144

$116 €98.7

-9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 CA$952

$1,551 €1,317

-55.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 CA$971

$1,216 €1,032

-41.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 CA$1,589

$2,799 €2,376

-58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 CA$1,563

$2,008 €1,705

-43.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 CA$6,103

$7,161 €6,080

-37.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,442 CA$4,715

$5,021 €4,263

-31.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,591 CA$2,180

$2,462 €2,091

-35.38%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Thompson and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 55% 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 in Thompson vs $68 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $316 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 28% in total monthly costs ($1,847 vs $2,356 including rent). Thompson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 55% 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: $695 in Thompson versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $749 in Thompson 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 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,847 in Thompson versus $2,356 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 28% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.