Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and New Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and New Plymouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,807 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,786 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,765 in New Plymouth.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than New Plymouth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, New Plymouth 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$15.24 NZ$25.95

15.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$78.7 NZ$134

-13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.61 NZ$18.07

32.52%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.74 NZ$6.37

-25.67%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.33 NZ$3.98

20.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.95 NZ$3.32

5.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.24 NZ$8.93

-14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.18 NZ$12.23

-35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.03 NZ$3.46

-38.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.55 NZ$2.64

30.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.74 NZ$2.96

10.34%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$6.15 NZ$10.47

-46.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$7.59 NZ$12.93

142.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$13.05 NZ$22.23

-27.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$12.94 NZ$22.04

48.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.15 NZ$3.66

22.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.97 NZ$3.35

24.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.14 NZ$5.35

-32.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.70 NZ$11.42

-57.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.63 NZ$4.47

-22.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.66 NZ$2.82

11.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.97 NZ$3.35

-25.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.41 NZ$2.40

-40.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$21.22 NZ$36.14

-66.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.67 NZ$14.76

-9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.87 NZ$6.60

-64.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.31 NZ$7.34

-46.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.83 NZ$3.12

62.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$64.3 NZ$110

-54.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.76 NZ$3.00

161.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.45 NZ$5.87

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$36.28 NZ$61.8

-19.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.65 NZ$2.81

11.52%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$47.6K NZ$81.1K

-18.02%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$23.7K NZ$40.4K

37.78%

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

$188 €162

$214 NZ$365

-12.25%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$29.67 NZ$50.5

-22.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$30.46 NZ$51.9

20.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$36.20 NZ$61.7

58.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$12.01 NZ$20.46

72.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.16 NZ$19.01

0.27%

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

$721 €621

$741 NZ$1,263

-2.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$11.9K NZ$20.3K

26.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$90.7 NZ$154

-4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$36.47 NZ$62.1

1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.7 NZ$124

40.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$65.1 NZ$111

78.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$733 NZ$1,249

109.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$682 NZ$1,162

78.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,350 NZ$2,299

99.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,159 NZ$1,974

73.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$3,360 NZ$5,724

114.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,703 NZ$4,605

91.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$2,971 NZ$5,062

-20.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.93

-42.83%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $733 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $79.0 in New Plymouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $344 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

Barcelona vs New Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and New Plymouth differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,807 including rent). New Plymouth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, New Plymouth earns 26% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $733 in New Plymouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $741 in New Plymouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,807 in New Plymouth versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in New Plymouth but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes New Plymouth 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, Barcelona and New Plymouth 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 New Plymouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.