Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Passaic, NJ Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Passaic, NJ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,790 in Passaic, NJ.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $4,163 in Passaic, NJ.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $5,535 in Passaic, NJ.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 17% less than in Passaic, NJ, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Passaic, NJ 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$16.89 $16.89

1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$98.9 $98.9

-28.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$11.78 $11.78

19.02%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$5.85 $5.85

-52.48%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$2.29 $2.29

21.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.56 $1.56

31.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$7.04 $7.04

-35.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$7.17 $7.17

-34.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.32 $1.32

-2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$4.28 $4.28

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$5.54 $5.54

-65.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$6.68 $6.68

-47.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$17.68 $17.68

4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$10.30 $10.30

-7.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$19.87 $19.87

-4.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$5.58 $5.58

-53.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$2.44 $2.44

-4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.15 $4.15

-49.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$4.29 $4.29

-33.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.73 $3.73

-47.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.97 $3.97

-53.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.94 $2.94

-47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$2.81 $2.81

-67.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$17.85 $17.85

-62.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$14.98 $14.98

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.82 $1.82

-24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$3.83 $3.83

-39.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$2.01 $2.01

49.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$119 $119

-76.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$3.08 $3.08

48.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.14 $2.14

-0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$41.67 $41.67

-29.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$0.89 $0.89

102.25%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$23.7K $23.7K

62.56%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

30.82%

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

$185 €162

$185 $185

0.11%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$54.6 $54.6

-58.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$59.1 $59.1

-37.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$43.34 $43.34

33.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$20.30 $20.30

-46.65%

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

$727 €637

$1,486 $1,486

-51.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$16.0K $16.0K

-7.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$50.1 $50.1

74.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$48.41 $48.41

-22.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$87.3 $87.3

18.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$99.5 $99.5

19.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$1,583 $1,583

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$1,361 $1,361

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$2,675 $2,675

2.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$2,186 $2,186

-8.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$2,397 $2,397

212.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$2,670 $2,670

95.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.44

-47.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Passaic, NJ: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $1,583 in Passaic, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $99.0 in Passaic, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $461 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 Passaic, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Passaic, NJ differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,790 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $4,186 in Passaic, 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $1,583 in Passaic, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $1,486 in Passaic, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Passaic, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,790 in Passaic, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Passaic, NJ. 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Passaic, NJ 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 20% less than in Passaic, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.