Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Brooklyn, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Brooklyn, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Brooklyn, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY.

Barcelona $2,443
Brooklyn, NY $4,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $6,364 in Brooklyn, NY.

Barcelona $3,519
Brooklyn, NY $6,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $8,497 in Brooklyn, NY.

Barcelona $4,595
Brooklyn, NY $8,497

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 42% less than in Brooklyn, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Brooklyn, NY 213% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.69

$20.37 $20.37

-13.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €59.9

$107 $107

-36.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.09

$11.86 $11.86

14.76%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.75

$5.49 $5.49

-43.53%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.64 $2.64

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$2.27 $2.27

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.41

$7.82 $7.82

-50.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.87

$8.90 $8.90

-51.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.67 $1.67

-25.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$4.58 $4.58

-53.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$7.02 $7.02

-71.94%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.23

$6.59 $6.59

-27.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.16

$16.57 $16.57

3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.96

$17.01 $17.01

-47.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.34

$19.96 $19.96

3.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$7.93 $7.93

-60.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$3.68 $3.68

-46.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$5.23 $5.23

-49.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$6.04 $6.04

-52.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$4.02 $4.02

-48.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$4.79 $4.79

-54.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.64 $2.64

-42.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$2.43 $2.43

-60.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.19

$15.04 $15.04

-53.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.01

$21.33 $21.33

-63.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.74 $2.74

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.26 $3.26

-17.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$2.94 $2.94

12.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.75

$183 $183

-86.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.96 $2.96

4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.14 $2.14

-30.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.20

$42.63 $42.63

-22.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.14 $1.14

64.04%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$31.2K $31.2K

5.54%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

23.33%

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

$183 €162

$219 $219

-16.58%

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

$14.24 €12.65

$60.5 $60.5

-76.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.70

$61.3 $61.3

-43.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.68

$123 $123

-58.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.55

$35.28 $35.28

-53.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$20.06 $20.06

-44.87%

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

$944 €838

$3,022 $3,022

-68.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$52.2K $52.2K

-57.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.9

$70.0 $70.0

25.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.44

$76.8 $76.8

-49.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.9

$122 $122

-14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$118 $118

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,507

$3,827 $3,827

-55.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,187

$2,454 $2,454

-45.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,391

$7,537 $7,537

-64.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,845

$4,441 $4,441

-53.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,356

$12.4K $12.4K

-42.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,512

$7,713 $7,713

-34.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,991

$3,614 $3,614

-37.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.78

-52.95%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58% 83.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13% 67.4% $221

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 27.7% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 47.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1% 11% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9% 121% $89

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9% 322% $159

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brooklyn, NY pays 61% 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $107 in Brooklyn, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $549 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

2,736,074

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Brooklyn, NY 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Brooklyn, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Barcelona vs Brooklyn, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, so Barcelona is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $3,022 in Brooklyn, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Brooklyn, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,443 in Barcelona versus $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Brooklyn, NY. 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.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Brooklyn, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.