Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and North Brunswick, NJ

For one person, living costs are similar in Barcelona and in North Brunswick, NJ: $2,443 and $2,453 a month, rent and utilities included.

Barcelona, Spain
North Brunswick, NJ, United States
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
North Brunswick, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in North Brunswick, NJ

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 North Brunswick, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,453 in North Brunswick, NJ.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • North Brunswick, NJ $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $3,704 in North Brunswick, NJ.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • North Brunswick, NJ $3,704

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $4,955 in North Brunswick, NJ.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • North Brunswick, NJ $4,955

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and North Brunswick, NJ; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, North Brunswick, NJ 81% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.79
$20.22 $20.22
-12.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.3
$61.1 $61.1
10.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.17
$11.90 $11.90
14.37%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.77
$3.03 $3.03
2.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.68
$2.62 $2.62
14.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.18 $1.18
63.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.44
$6.69 $6.69
-42.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.90
$6.04 $6.04
-27.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.10 $1.10
13.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.90
$1.60 $1.60
32.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$5.70 $5.70
-65.44%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.26
$4.77 $4.77
-0.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.26
$13.22 $13.22
29.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €8.01
$16.61 $16.61
-46.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.46
$16.33 $16.33
26.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.83
$3.85 $3.85
-17.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.90 $1.90
3.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$4.25 $4.25
-37.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$6.15 $6.15
-53.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$3.26 $3.26
-36.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$3.29 $3.29
-33.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$2.34 $2.34
-34.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$2.01 $2.01
-51.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.23
$15.00 $15.00
-53.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.05
$17.93 $17.93
-56.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.27
$2.62 $2.62
-45.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.40
$4.09 $4.09
-34.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.96
$1.94 $1.94
70.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.90
$53.6 $53.6
-52.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.76
$3.07 $3.07
0.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.33
$2.16 $2.16
-31.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.40
$42.72 $42.72
-23.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.08 $1.08
73.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.5K
$27.9K $27.9K
18.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.6K
$26.7K $26.7K
19.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €164
$128 $128
43.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.73
$47.11 $47.11
-69.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.91
$57.6 $57.6
-40.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.98
$38.45 $38.45
33.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.65
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.89
$13.03 $13.03
-15.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €844
$2,704 $2,704
-65.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.9K
$15.3K $15.3K
45.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.4
$54.2 $54.2
61.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.67
$50.9 $50.9
-23.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.5
$120 $120
-13.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$134 $134
-12.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,517
$1,555 $1,555
9.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,195
$1,199 $1,199
11.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,407
$2,490 $2,490
8.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,857
$2,160 $2,160
-3.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,398
$3,084 $3,084
131.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,542
$2,485 $2,485
104.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
North Brunswick, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €2,004
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
7.01
-54.49%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
North Brunswick, NJ
$1.2K 10.3% $137
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
North Brunswick, NJ
$426 29.9% $98
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
North Brunswick, NJ
$295 10.3% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
North Brunswick, NJ
$232 0.3% $0.6
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
North Brunswick, NJ
$162 3.1% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
North Brunswick, NJ
$65 12.3% $9
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
North Brunswick, NJ
$75 52.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,555 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $61 in North Brunswick, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $426, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ
🕒 Local time
20:20 8:20 PM
14:20 2:20 PM
6 h behind Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
43,905
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona North Brunswick, NJ 6,220 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • North Brunswick, NJ

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 North Brunswick, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to North Brunswick, NJ?
You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $3,680 in North Brunswick, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in North Brunswick, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,555 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and North Brunswick, NJ?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $2,704 in North Brunswick, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in North Brunswick, NJ – a meal for two runs $61 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $3,000 go in Barcelona compared to North Brunswick, NJ?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barcelona gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and North Brunswick, NJ?
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.
Is Barcelona or North Brunswick, NJ safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and North Brunswick, NJ are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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