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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,777 in Markham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $3,946 in Markham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $5,115 in Markham.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 14% less than in Markham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Markham 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$14.89 CA$21.05

18.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$79.8 CA$113

-12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$8.82 CA$12.47

54.88%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$3.22 CA$4.55

-14.91%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$2.08 CA$2.94

34.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.36 CA$1.92

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$3.73 CA$5.27

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$6.64 CA$9.39

-31.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.75 CA$2.47

-26.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.27 CA$3.21

-9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.55 CA$2.19

27.74%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$3.30 CA$4.67

2.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$15.66 CA$22.14

19.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$10.11 CA$14.29

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$7.54 CA$10.66

149.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$4.57 CA$6.46

-39.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.41 CA$1.99

75.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.39 CA$3.37

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$3.54 CA$5.00

-20.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.50 CA$3.54

-19.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.09 CA$2.95

-11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$3.20 CA$4.53

-52.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.67 CA$2.36

-46.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$14.24 CA$20.14

-50.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$14.95 CA$21.13

-46.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.19 CA$3.09

-34.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.23 CA$3.15

2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$3.19 CA$4.51

-9.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$96.2 CA$136

-70.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$3.22 CA$4.55

36.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.80 CA$3.96

-23.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$22.33 CA$31.56

30.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.10 CA$1.56

69.09%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$25.3K CA$35.8K

53.83%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$20.3K CA$28.7K

61.26%

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

$189 €165

$202 CA$285

-6.19%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$33.58 CA$47.46

-32.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$59.9 CA$84.7

-39.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$46.46 CA$65.7

23.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$14.12 CA$19.96

51.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$11.05 CA$15.62

-2.17%

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

$726 €634

$922 CA$1,303

-21.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$28.2K CA$39.9K

-46.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$44.25 CA$62.6

98.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$36.36 CA$51.4

1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$61.6 CA$87.1

68.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$80.7 CA$114

44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$1,736 CA$2,454

-9.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$1,597 CA$2,257

-23.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$2,952 CA$4,173

-8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$2,501 CA$3,535

-21.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$6,019 CA$8,508

29.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$5,431 CA$7,676

-3.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$3,168 CA$4,478

-25.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.59

-48.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Markham: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,736 in Markham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 33% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $80.0 in Markham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $328 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 Markham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Markham differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $2,777 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $1,736 in Markham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $922 in Markham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 16% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.