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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,954 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $3,039 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,123 in New Plymouth.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in New Plymouth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, New Plymouth 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$14.90 NZ$25.33

23.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$70.0 NZ$119

-0.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$10.42 NZ$17.71

34.84%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$3.51 NZ$5.97

-11.40%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$2.24 NZ$3.81

32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.93 NZ$3.28

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$5.33 NZ$9.07

-25.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$6.00 NZ$10.20

-23.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.88 NZ$3.19

-29.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.66 NZ$2.82

27.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.73 NZ$2.94

5.78%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$6.77 NZ$11.51

-23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$7.41 NZ$12.59

136.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$12.89 NZ$21.91

-26.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$12.21 NZ$20.75

63.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$2.72 NZ$4.62

16.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.98 NZ$3.36

11.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$3.21 NZ$5.46

-18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.60 NZ$11.23

-56.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.53 NZ$4.31

-14.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.47 NZ$2.50

43.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.32 NZ$2.25

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$23.53 NZ$39.99

-69.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$8.57 NZ$14.57

-2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.08 NZ$5.24

-51.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.95 NZ$6.71

-30.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.78 NZ$3.03

76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

$77.5 NZ$132

-66.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.76 NZ$2.99

-0.57%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$46.3K NZ$78.7K

-20.86%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$24.9K NZ$42.3K

27.19%

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

$187 €161

$131 NZ$223

42.73%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$29.98 NZ$51.0

-49.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$49.00 NZ$83.3

-23.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$44.22 NZ$75.2

25.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$8.56 NZ$14.56

36.80%

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

$1,011 €869

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$86.9 NZ$148

5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$92.9 NZ$158

19.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$118 NZ$200

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$947 NZ$1,609

80.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$868 NZ$1,475

49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$1,800 NZ$3,060

43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$1,640 NZ$2,788

17.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$3,393 NZ$5,767

127.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$2,739 NZ$4,655

96.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$2,889 NZ$4,911

-17.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.93

-46.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $947 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in New Plymouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $339 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,954 including rent). New Plymouth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in New Plymouth. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $947 in New Plymouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in New Plymouth – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in New Plymouth runs roughly 195% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,954 in New Plymouth versus $2,482 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 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.