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: $2,802 in Markham versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Markham versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,035 in Markham versus $4,582 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 109% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.56 CA$19.94

$17.61 €15.04

-17.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 CA$110

$68.7 €58.7

16.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 CA$12.03

$13.75 €11.74

-36.15%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CA$4.47

$2.76 €2.36

18.12%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$2.78 €2.38

-24.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.86

$2.05 €1.75

-33.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$4.61 €3.93

-18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$8.87

$4.59 €3.92

40.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 CA$2.43

$1.28 €1.09

38.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.11

$2.11 €1.80

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 CA$2.15

$1.97 €1.68

-20.30%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.55

$3.44 €2.94

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.38

$18.83 €16.08

-17.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 CA$13.61

$9.45 €8.07

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 CA$10.11

$19.01 €16.24

-61.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.14

$2.72 €2.32

64.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$2.37 €2.03

-40.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$2.08 €1.77

19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.64

$2.76 €2.36

22.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.31

$1.97 €1.68

22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.89

$1.79 €1.53

17.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.16 CA$4.33

$1.51 €1.29

109.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.29

$0.90 €0.77

85.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 CA$19.36

$6.76 €5.77

109.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 CA$20.81

$7.55 €6.44

101.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 CA$3.13

$1.44 €1.23

59.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.09

$2.41 €2.06

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 CA$4.34

$3.03 €2.59

4.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 CA$131

$28.39 €24.25

236.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.39

$4.43 €3.78

-27.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 CA$3.76

$2.05 €1.75

33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.70 CA$29.73

$29.33 €25.05

-26.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.49

$1.89 €1.61

-42.33%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$38.7K €33.1K

-35.22%

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

$19.9K CA$27.2K

$32.4K €27.6K

-38.60%

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

$206 CA$282

$189 €161

9.15%

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

$33.43 CA$45.80

$22.21 €18.96

50.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CA$81.7

$36.82 €31.44

61.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.27 CA$63.4

$58.0 €49.52

-20.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 CA$19.84

$20.99 €17.93

-31.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 CA$15.03

$11.05 €9.44

-0.72%

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

$911 CA$1,249

$726 €620

25.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.9K CA$39.6K

$15.2K €13.0K

89.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.74 CA$61.3

$88.3 €75.4

-49.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 CA$50.4

$36.98 €31.58

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 CA$83.6

$103 €87.6

-40.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 CA$112

$119 €102

-31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 CA$2,349

$1,526 €1,304

12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 CA$2,200

$1,218 €1,040

31.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 CA$4,064

$2,794 €2,386

6.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CA$3,368

$2,027 €1,731

21.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,173 CA$8,456

$7,094 €6,058

-12.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,668 CA$7,765

$4,849 €4,141

16.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,259 CA$4,465

$2,404 €2,053

35.56%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,715 in Markham and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 36% 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: $80.0 in Markham vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $320 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 ($2,802 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Markham pays 36% 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: $1,715 in Markham versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $911 in Markham versus $726 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.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,802 in Markham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Markham. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, 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.