Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Markham Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Markham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $2,467 in Markham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $3,565 in Markham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $4,662 in Markham.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 1% less than in Markham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Markham 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$17.90 CA$24.66

5.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$53.3 CA$73.4

30.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$10.73 CA$14.78

31.22%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$3.72 CA$5.13

-16.13%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$1.82 CA$2.51

59.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.37 CA$1.89

36.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$4.72 CA$6.51

-15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$7.17 CA$9.88

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$2.01 CA$2.77

-40.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$2.21 CA$3.05

-3.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.97 CA$2.71

-6.60%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$3.09 CA$4.26

66.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$12.12 CA$16.70

-19.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$7.23 CA$9.96

171.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$3.83 CA$5.28

-18.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.32 CA$1.81

65.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$2.31 CA$3.19

6.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$3.43 CA$4.72

-19.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.05 CA$2.82

3.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.93 CA$2.66

15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$2.92 CA$4.02

-48.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.55 CA$2.13

-41.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$13.79 CA$19.00

-47.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$15.16 CA$20.89

-45.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.54 CA$3.50

-39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.22 CA$4.43

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$3.14 CA$4.32

-2.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$92.2 CA$127

-71.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$3.34 CA$4.61

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$18.98 CA$26.15

84.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.12 CA$1.55

55.36%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$29.0K CA$39.9K

26.02%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$18.3K CA$25.2K

72.01%

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

$183 €156

$127 CA$175

43.56%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$26.97 CA$37.16

-41.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$47.53 CA$65.5

-22.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$43.83 CA$60.4

22.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$21.24 CA$29.26

-19.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$10.45 CA$14.39

10.14%

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

$952 €815

$883 CA$1,217

7.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$28.5K CA$39.2K

-43.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$43.43 CA$59.8

89.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$38.19 CA$52.6

5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$93.9 CA$129

14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$98.8 CA$136

27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$1,620 CA$2,232

2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$1,407 CA$1,939

-8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$2,744 CA$3,781

-2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$2,331 CA$3,212

-18.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$6,085 CA$8,384

23.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$5,645 CA$7,777

-8.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$3,139 CA$4,325

-21.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.56

-31.58%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Markham: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $1,620 in Markham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 28% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Markham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $288 per month, with Markham 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 Markham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Markham differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $2,467 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Markham. 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $1,620 in Markham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $883 in Markham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Markham pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Markham 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.