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: $1,837 in Thompson versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,748 in Thompson versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,658 in Thompson versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Thompson costs roughly 26% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 CA$25.13

$18.42 €15.88

-1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 CA$94.3

$69.4 €59.8

-2.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 CA$14.81

$14.05 €12.11

-23.99%

Cappuccino

$3.67 CA$5.09

$3.11 €2.68

18.01%

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

$2.02 CA$2.80

$2.96 €2.55

-31.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.25

$1.95 €1.69

-16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 CA$7.45

$3.99 €3.44

34.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.90

$4.62 €3.99

23.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.84

$1.32 €1.14

55.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 CA$3.56

$2.11 €1.82

21.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.76

$1.83 €1.57

87.43%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$4.96

$5.16 €4.45

-30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.00

$17.56 €15.15

-42.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.04

$9.50 €8.20

21.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 CA$20.88

$19.93 €17.19

-24.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.23

$3.17 €2.73

18.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$2.21 €1.91

-40.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.30

$2.61 €2.25

46.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.38

$2.85 €2.46

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.50

$2.17 €1.87

16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.05

$2.11 €1.82

4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CA$3.40

$1.62 €1.39

51.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.21

$0.88 €0.76

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 CA$20.32

$7.17 €6.18

104.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CA$17.37

$8.33 €7.18

50.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.65

$1.50 €1.29

75.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.47

$2.75 €2.37

17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 CA$3.17

$3.14 €2.71

-27.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 CA$87.4

$26.25 €22.64

140.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 CA$4.20

$3.22 €2.78

-5.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.11

$1.51 €1.31

0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 CA$32.84

$35.26 €30.40

-32.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.55

$1.75 €1.51

-36.00%

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

$28.6K CA$39.6K

$36.7K €31.6K

-22.03%

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

$19.4K CA$26.9K

$31.7K €27.3K

-38.73%

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

$137 CA$191

$187 €161

-26.56%

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

$39.79 CA$55.2

$15.10 €13.02

163.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CA$80.1

$37.60 €32.42

53.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 CA$58.3

$55.5 €47.85

-24.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.84 CA$26.12

$16.74 €14.43

12.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 CA$15.67

$11.71 €10.10

-3.50%

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

$761 CA$1,055

$1,011 €872

-24.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.5K

$17.1K €14.7K

-22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$91.4 €78.8

-40.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 CA$54.5

$41.00 €35.35

-4.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 CA$119

$111 €95.4

-22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$141

$126 €109

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 CA$948

$1,704 €1,469

-59.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 CA$937

$1,299 €1,121

-48.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 CA$1,547

$2,588 €2,232

-56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 CA$1,579

$1,929 €1,663

-40.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,363 CA$6,051

$7,732 €6,667

-43.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,690 CA$5,117

$5,384 €4,643

-31.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,561 CA$2,165

$2,374 €2,047

-34.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

3.16

48.10%

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

Last update for Thompson: September 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $684 in Thompson and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 52% 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: $68.0 in Thompson vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $333, 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

Thompson vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thompson and Barcelona differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $2,482 including rent). Thompson is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Barcelona. 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: $684 in Thompson versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $761 in Thompson versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,837 in Thompson versus $2,482 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 35% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.