Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Scarborough versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,481 in Scarborough versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,336 in Scarborough versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 11% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 95% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 CA$25.08

$17.64 €15.01

3.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 CA$111

$68.1 €58.0

18.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$13.96 €11.88

-21.13%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.59

$2.76 €2.35

47.83%

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

$2.17 CA$2.97

$2.76 €2.35

-21.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$1.98

$1.97 €1.67

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 CA$8.21

$4.53 €3.85

32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 CA$9.27

$4.53 €3.85

49.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.19

$1.24 €1.05

87.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.51

$2.04 €1.73

25.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.79

$1.91 €1.63

44.50%

Eggs

$3.49 CA$4.78

$3.39 €2.89

2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.13

$18.34 €15.60

-27.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 CA$15.46

$9.39 €7.99

20.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 CA$19.76

$18.90 €16.08

-23.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.85

$2.63 €2.23

34.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.60

$2.40 €2.04

-51.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$3.93

$2.12 €1.80

35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.59

$2.70 €2.30

24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 CA$2.20

$2.05 €1.75

-21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$1.78 €1.52

42.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$1.47 €1.25

51.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.15

$0.91 €0.77

72.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 CA$18.09

$7.01 €5.97

88.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.28 CA$18.20

$7.59 €6.46

74.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.38

$1.44 €1.22

71.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.53

$2.32 €1.97

10.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$2.94 €2.50

-15.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CA$142

$29.38 €25.00

252.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.36

$4.53 €3.85

-29.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 CA$1.62

$2.14 €1.82

-44.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.61 CA$30.97

$28.97 €24.65

-21.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$1.89 €1.61

-41.80%

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

$25.4K CA$34.8K

$39.0K €33.2K

-35.00%

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

$20.8K CA$28.5K

$32.4K €27.6K

-35.85%

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

$178 CA$244

$189 €161

-5.55%

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

$42.30 CA$58.0

$22.24 €18.92

90.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$75.5

$36.57 €31.12

50.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 CA$49.63

$58.0 €49.38

-37.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 CA$19.53

$11.01 €9.37

29.43%

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

$839 CA$1,150

$731 €622

14.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$14.9K

$14.8K €12.6K

-26.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$78.8

$89.3 €76.0

-35.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 CA$58.7

$37.38 €31.81

14.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$120

$105 €89.0

-16.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$143

$116 €99.0

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,390

$1,551 €1,320

12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 CA$1,912

$1,216 €1,035

14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 CA$3,049

$2,799 €2,382

-20.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 CA$2,257

$2,008 €1,709

-17.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,846 CA$10.7K

$7,161 €6,094

9.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,164 CA$8,445

$5,021 €4,273

22.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 CA$4,211

$2,462 €2,095

24.82%

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 Scarborough: April 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Scarborough and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 25% 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: $81 in Scarborough vs $68 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $316 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

Scarborough vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scarborough and Barcelona differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $2,356 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Scarborough pays 25% 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: $1,745 in Scarborough versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $839 in Scarborough versus $731 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Scarborough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,626 in Scarborough, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. 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, Scarborough 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 11% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.