Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,019 in Yellowknife versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,249 in Yellowknife versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,479 in Yellowknife versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 21% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yellowknife 120% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 CA$27.08

$18.39 €15.86

5.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 CA$120

$69.2 €59.7

24.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 CA$12.33

$14.13 €12.19

-37.15%

Cappuccino

$4.37 CA$6.07

$3.13 €2.70

39.62%

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

$2.38 CA$3.31

$3.02 €2.60

-21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.90

$1.96 €1.69

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 CA$9.30

$4.00 €3.45

67.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 CA$10.07

$4.76 €4.11

52.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 CA$4.07

$1.25 €1.08

134.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 CA$3.74

$2.16 €1.87

24.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 CA$6.51

$1.69 €1.45

177.51%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.48

$4.93 €4.25

-34.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 CA$10.39

$17.88 €15.42

-58.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 CA$22.87

$9.61 €8.29

71.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 CA$22.23

$19.34 €16.68

-17.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 CA$6.90

$3.24 €2.79

53.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.06

$2.18 €1.88

-32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 CA$7.45

$2.67 €2.30

100.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.34 CA$10.19

$2.77 €2.39

164.98%

Potato (1kg)

$4.62 CA$6.42

$2.21 €1.91

109.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.89

$2.19 €1.89

60.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.58 CA$4.97

$1.52 €1.31

135.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CA$1.54

$0.92 €0.79

20.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.59 CA$24.45

$7.12 €6.14

147.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 CA$20.43

$8.14 €7.02

80.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.26 CA$5.92

$1.50 €1.29

184.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 CA$8.81

$2.78 €2.40

128.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 CA$3.08

$3.15 €2.72

-29.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 CA$75.3

$26.99 €23.28

100.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.40

$3.25 €2.80

-2.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$1.50 €1.29

-6.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.77

$1.75 €1.51

-27.43%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$36.7K €31.6K

-32.19%

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

$19.2K CA$26.7K

$30.9K €26.7K

-37.80%

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

$364 CA$506

$188 €162

94.03%

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

$58.5 CA$81.3

$15.44 €13.32

278.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.5 CA$138

$37.80 €32.60

163.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 CA$103

$57.2 €49.32

29.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 CA$14.17

$11.58 €9.99

-11.92%

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

$599 CA$833

$1,003 €865

-40.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 CA$90.5

$89.2 €77.0

-26.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.21 CA$50.3

$40.87 €35.25

-11.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$145

$110 €94.9

-5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$123 €106

-3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CA$2,027

$1,673 €1,443

-12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CA$1,972

$1,331 €1,148

6.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 CA$3,006

$2,596 €2,239

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 CA$2,942

$1,950 €1,682

8.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,098 CA$4,305

$7,573 €6,532

-59.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 CA$3,946

$5,370 €4,632

-47.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,117 CA$5,721

$2,402 €2,072

71.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

3.16

68.35%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,459 in Yellowknife and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 71% 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: $86.0 in Yellowknife vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $332 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

Yellowknife vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yellowknife and Barcelona differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($3,019 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Yellowknife, 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: $1,459 in Yellowknife versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Yellowknife versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Yellowknife. 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, Yellowknife 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 21% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.