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: $2,620 in Scarborough versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,547 in Scarborough versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,474 in Scarborough versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 6% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 90% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 CA$24.52

$18.42 €15.88

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 CA$102

$69.4 €59.8

6.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 CA$14.77

$14.05 €12.11

-24.20%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.54

$3.11 €2.68

28.30%

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

$2.14 CA$2.96

$2.96 €2.55

-27.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.05

$1.95 €1.69

-24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 CA$8.87

$3.99 €3.44

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 CA$9.80

$4.62 €3.98

53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.81 CA$3.89

$1.32 €1.14

112.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.82

$2.11 €1.82

30.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 CA$3.60

$1.83 €1.57

42.08%

Eggs

$3.87 CA$5.37

$5.16 €4.45

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 CA$14.12

$17.56 €15.14

-42.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 CA$15.75

$9.50 €8.19

19.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 CA$19.34

$19.93 €17.18

-30.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.79

$3.17 €2.73

8.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.71

$2.21 €1.91

-44.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.90

$2.61 €2.25

35.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.70

$2.85 €2.46

44.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.65

$2.17 €1.87

-11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$2.11 €1.81

-27.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.27

$1.62 €1.39

45.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$0.88 €0.76

70.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.40

$7.17 €6.18

105.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 CA$18.25

$8.33 €7.18

57.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CA$3.14

$1.50 €1.29

50.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$2.75 €2.37

-9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.22

$3.14 €2.70

-26.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CA$147

$26.25 €22.63

304.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 CA$4.32

$3.22 €2.78

-3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.71

$1.51 €1.30

-18.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.09 CA$30.64

$35.26 €30.39

-37.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.65

$1.75 €1.51

-32.00%

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

$27.0K CA$37.5K

$36.7K €31.6K

-26.29%

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

$21.0K CA$29.1K

$31.7K €27.3K

-33.85%

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

$147 CA$204

$187 €161

-21.40%

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

$35.50 CA$49.23

$15.10 €13.01

135.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.22 CA$68.3

$37.60 €32.41

30.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.84 CA$49.70

$55.5 €47.83

-35.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 CA$50.9

$16.74 €14.43

119.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 CA$18.12

$11.71 €10.09

11.61%

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

$771 CA$1,070

$1,011 €871

-23.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CA$15.2K

$17.1K €14.7K

-35.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 CA$72.9

$91.4 €78.8

-42.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.36 CA$58.8

$41.00 €35.34

3.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 CA$120

$111 €95.3

-21.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$146

$126 €109

-16.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 CA$2,404

$1,704 €1,469

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 CA$1,979

$1,299 €1,120

9.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 CA$3,065

$2,588 €2,231

-14.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 CA$2,480

$1,929 €1,663

-7.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,775 CA$10.8K

$7,732 €6,665

0.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,259 CA$8,680

$5,384 €4,641

16.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 CA$4,297

$2,374 €2,046

30.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.16

42.72%

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

Last update for Scarborough: September 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,733 in Scarborough and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 31% 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: $74.0 in Scarborough vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $333 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,620 vs $2,482 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Scarborough, 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: $1,733 in Scarborough versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $771 in Scarborough versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Scarborough. 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, 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 6% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.