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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,194 in Edmonton versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,321 in Edmonton versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,448 in Edmonton versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Edmonton costs roughly 7% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edmonton 64% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.25 CA$25.38

$17.58 €15.14

3.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.5 CA$91.0

$68.4 €58.9

-4.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 CA$15.93

$14.06 €12.10

-18.56%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.38

$2.78 €2.39

39.21%

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

$2.08 CA$2.89

$2.80 €2.41

-25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.44

$2.06 €1.78

-14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.24

$4.46 €3.84

32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 CA$8.13

$4.61 €3.97

26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CA$2.88

$1.24 €1.07

66.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CA$4.05

$2.03 €1.75

43.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.42

$1.92 €1.65

65.63%

Eggs

$3.76 CA$5.23

$3.31 €2.85

13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 CA$17.36

$18.43 €15.87

-32.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.22

$9.49 €8.17

30.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.32 CA$22.70

$19.16 €16.49

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 CA$6.72

$2.64 €2.27

82.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.83

$2.45 €2.11

-46.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.35

$2.12 €1.83

81.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.22

$2.85 €2.45

31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.04 €1.75

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.94

$1.85 €1.59

14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.62

$1.47 €1.27

77.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 CA$2.66

$0.84 €0.73

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 CA$20.67

$7.14 €6.15

108.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.48 CA$17.36

$7.88 €6.79

58.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.27

$1.38 €1.19

122.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.55

$2.31 €1.99

41.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.57

$2.98 €2.57

-13.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 CA$100

$29.26 €25.19

146.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CA$4.46

$4.60 €3.96

-30.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 CA$2.27

$2.07 €1.78

-20.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.35 CA$32.47

$29.18 €25.12

-19.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.53

$1.84 €1.58

-40.22%

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

$25.6K CA$35.6K

$39.0K €33.6K

-34.36%

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

$22.0K CA$30.6K

$32.7K €28.1K

-32.61%

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

$199 CA$277

$188 €162

6.18%

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

$44.00 CA$61.2

$22.93 €19.74

91.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 CA$89.1

$36.71 €31.61

74.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.62 CA$66.2

$57.4 €49.39

-16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.62 CA$30.07

$20.70 €17.82

4.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 CA$18.16

$11.19 €9.64

16.71%

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

$683 CA$950

$721 €621

-5.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.5K

$15.0K €13.0K

-20.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.94 CA$68.1

$86.2 €74.2

-43.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.19 CA$58.7

$37.07 €31.92

13.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 CA$116

$102 €87.8

-17.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$145

$116 €99.8

-10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,685

$1,534 €1,320

-21.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 CA$1,300

$1,220 €1,051

-23.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,878 CA$2,611

$2,696 €2,321

-30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 CA$2,241

$2,013 €1,733

-19.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,397 CA$3,334

$7,220 €6,216

-66.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,275 CA$3,164

$5,189 €4,467

-56.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,486 CA$4,848

$2,359 €2,031

47.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

3.39

79.35%

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

Last update for Edmonton: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Edmonton and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edmonton pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Edmonton vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $318, 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

Edmonton vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edmonton and Barcelona differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,194 vs $2,367 including rent). Edmonton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Edmonton pays 48% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,212 in Edmonton versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $683 in Edmonton versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,194 in Edmonton versus $2,367 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, Edmonton 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 Edmonton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.