Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Edmonton Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Edmonton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,216 in Edmonton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $3,231 in Edmonton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,245 in Edmonton.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 12% more expensive than in Edmonton, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Edmonton 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$20.53 CA$28.47

-10.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$79.7 CA$110

-12.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$9.98 CA$13.84

40.78%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.04 CA$5.60

-23.02%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.19 CA$3.04

35.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.92 CA$2.66

1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$5.87 CA$8.14

-32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$6.58 CA$9.13

-29.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.68 CA$2.33

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.23 CA$3.09

-5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.13 CA$4.34

-41.53%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.46 CA$4.80

49.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$10.96 CA$15.20

60.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$11.62 CA$16.11

-18.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$18.52 CA$25.68

7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$4.44 CA$6.16

-28.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.35 CA$1.87

63.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$4.28 CA$5.94

-39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.05 CA$5.62

-29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.26 CA$3.13

-3.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.90 CA$2.64

11.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.42 CA$3.36

-33.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.81 CA$2.51

-51.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$14.49 CA$20.10

-50.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$11.72 CA$16.26

-28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.66 CA$5.07

-59.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.05 CA$4.23

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.66 CA$3.69

18.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$72.8 CA$101

-63.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.03 CA$4.20

6.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.36 CA$1.89

11.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$21.77 CA$30.20

61.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.16 CA$1.61

50.86%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.2K CA$40.4K

25.70%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$19.7K CA$27.4K

60.56%

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

$187 €161

$228 CA$316

-17.80%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$41.39 CA$57.4

-63.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$55.2 CA$76.5

-31.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$48.77 CA$67.6

13.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$18.21 CA$25.25

-8.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$12.98 CA$18.00

-9.78%

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

$1,011 €871

$783 CA$1,086

29.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$9,700 CA$13.5K

75.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$45.17 CA$62.7

102.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$47.85 CA$66.4

-14.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$86.1 CA$119

28.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$98.2 CA$136

28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,136 CA$1,576

49.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$920 CA$1,276

41.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,734 CA$2,404

49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,453 CA$2,015

32.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,251 CA$3,122

243.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,112 CA$2,929

154.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$3,780 CA$5,243

-37.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.32

-26.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,136 in Edmonton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edmonton pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $80.0 in Edmonton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $369 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

Barcelona vs Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Edmonton differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $2,216 including rent). Edmonton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Edmonton. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,136 in Edmonton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $783 in Edmonton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,216 in Edmonton versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Edmonton but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Edmonton 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, Barcelona and Edmonton 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 Edmonton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.