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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,793 in Markham versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,910 in Markham versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,027 in Markham versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Markham is roughly 20% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 108% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.62 CA$20.42

$17.08 €14.72

-14.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 CA$114

$69.2 €59.7

17.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.83 CA$12.32

$13.78 €11.87

-35.92%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CA$4.42

$2.76 €2.37

14.49%

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

$2.11 CA$2.95

$2.79 €2.40

-24.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.99 €1.72

-31.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 CA$5.29

$4.36 €3.76

-13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 CA$9.43

$4.74 €4.09

42.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 CA$2.44

$1.29 €1.11

35.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.17

$2.05 €1.77

10.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$1.99 €1.71

-18.59%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.80

$3.39 €2.92

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.57 CA$21.75

$18.81 €16.21

-17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 CA$13.82

$9.36 €8.07

5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 CA$10.42

$19.12 €16.48

-60.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 CA$6.14

$2.70 €2.32

62.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.02

$2.34 €2.02

-38.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.12 €1.83

16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.75

$2.85 €2.46

19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.34

$1.97 €1.70

21.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 CA$2.90

$1.80 €1.55

15.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 CA$4.31

$1.45 €1.25

113.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$0.86 €0.74

90.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.95 CA$19.47

$6.78 €5.84

105.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 CA$20.86

$7.90 €6.81

89.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 CA$3.05

$1.39 €1.20

56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CA$3.26

$2.37 €2.04

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 CA$4.42

$2.92 €2.52

8.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 CA$131

$28.69 €24.72

227.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 CA$4.31

$4.46 €3.84

-30.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 CA$3.99

$2.05 €1.77

39.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.91 CA$30.60

$29.55 €25.46

-25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.52

$1.82 €1.56

-40.11%

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

$25.1K CA$35.1K

$38.8K €33.5K

-35.33%

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

$19.7K CA$27.5K

$33.1K €28.5K

-40.55%

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

$202 CA$282

$189 €163

6.88%

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

$33.58 CA$46.89

$22.80 €19.65

47.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CA$83.4

$37.59 €32.39

58.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 CA$62.6

$57.7 €49.75

-22.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 CA$20.13

$20.74 €17.87

-30.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 CA$15.00

$10.82 €9.33

-0.74%

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

$916 CA$1,280

$728 €628

25.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.0K CA$40.5K

$14.8K €12.7K

96.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.91 CA$62.7

$88.6 €76.4

-49.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 CA$51.1

$36.85 €31.75

-0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 CA$84.5

$102 €87.9

-40.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 CA$114

$116 €100

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 CA$2,369

$1,569 €1,352

8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 CA$2,228

$1,218 €1,050

30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,984 CA$4,167

$2,795 €2,409

6.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 CA$3,531

$1,975 €1,702

28.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,886 CA$8,220

$7,754 €6,680

-24.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,575 CA$7,785

$5,176 €4,460

7.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,150 CA$4,399

$2,343 €2,019

34.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

3.39

94.40%

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

Last update for Markham: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Markham and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 34% 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: $82.0 in Markham vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $319 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

Markham vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Markham and Barcelona differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,793 vs $2,337 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Markham pays 34% 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: $1,697 in Markham versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $916 in Markham versus $728 in Barcelona. 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, Markham 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.