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: $2,960 in Yellowknife versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,236 in Yellowknife versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,511 in Yellowknife versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 25% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yellowknife 121% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.77 CA$23.22

$17.58 €15.12

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 CA$120

$68.4 €58.9

27.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 CA$10.58

$14.06 €12.09

-45.66%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.30

$2.78 €2.39

37.77%

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

$2.63 CA$3.64

$2.80 €2.41

-6.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$2.06 €1.78

2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 CA$8.42

$4.46 €3.84

36.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 CA$10.00

$4.61 €3.96

56.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 CA$3.49

$1.24 €1.07

103.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.71

$2.03 €1.74

32.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.59

$1.92 €1.65

147.92%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.65

$3.31 €2.85

1.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 CA$10.11

$18.43 €15.85

-60.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.83 CA$23.30

$9.49 €8.16

77.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 CA$22.66

$19.16 €16.48

-14.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 CA$6.99

$2.64 €2.27

91.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.13

$2.45 €2.11

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 CA$7.70

$2.12 €1.82

162.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.71 CA$10.68

$2.85 €2.45

170.53%

Potato (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.58

$2.04 €1.75

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.19

$1.85 €1.59

102.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.63 CA$5.03

$1.47 €1.26

146.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CA$1.59

$0.84 €0.73

36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.61 CA$24.38

$7.14 €6.14

146.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$19.82

$7.88 €6.78

81.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 CA$6.09

$1.38 €1.19

218.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CA$8.97

$2.31 €1.99

180.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.11

$2.98 €2.56

-24.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 CA$77.9

$29.26 €25.17

92.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.46

$4.60 €3.95

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$2.07 €1.78

-32.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.28 CA$35.00

$29.18 €25.10

-13.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.69

$1.84 €1.58

-33.70%

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

$25.2K CA$34.8K

$39.0K €33.6K

-35.49%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$32.7K €28.1K

-36.58%

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

$395 CA$547

$188 €162

110.21%

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

$60.3 CA$83.5

$22.93 €19.73

162.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 CA$152

$36.71 €31.58

198.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CA$103

$57.4 €49.35

30.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 CA$14.36

$11.19 €9.63

-7.33%

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

$629 CA$871

$721 €620

-12.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.4K

$15.0K €12.9K

-21.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 CA$92.1

$86.2 €74.2

-22.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 CA$52.0

$37.07 €31.89

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$145

$102 €87.8

2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$165

$116 €99.7

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CA$2,080

$1,534 €1,319

-2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 CA$1,975

$1,220 €1,050

16.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 CA$3,401

$2,696 €2,319

-8.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 CA$3,000

$2,013 €1,732

7.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,158 CA$4,373

$7,220 €6,211

-56.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 CA$4,024

$5,189 €4,463

-43.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,098 CA$5,674

$2,359 €2,029

73.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

3.39

90.56%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,503 in Yellowknife and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 74% 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: $87.0 in Yellowknife vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $318 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 25% in total monthly costs ($2,960 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Yellowknife pays 74% 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: $1,503 in Yellowknife versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $629 in Yellowknife versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 25% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.