Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Passaic, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $2,684 in Passaic, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. The total is higher in Passaic, NJ despite lower rent and utilities.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Passaic, NJ
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Passaic, NJ Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Passaic, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Passaic, 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 Passaic, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $2,684 in Passaic, NJ.

Barcelona $2,443
Passaic, NJ $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $3,916 in Passaic, NJ.

Barcelona $3,519
Passaic, NJ $3,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $5,149 in Passaic, NJ.

Barcelona $4,595
Passaic, NJ $5,149

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 9% less than in Passaic, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Passaic, NJ 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.71

$19.30 $19.30

-8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$79.5 $79.5

-15.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.12

$13.17 $13.17

3.34%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$6.36 $6.36

-51.26%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$2.45 $2.45

22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.53 $1.53

26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$7.92 $7.92

-51.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$7.15 $7.15

-39.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.33 $1.33

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$4.54 $4.54

-53.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$6.12 $6.12

-67.81%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$5.93 $5.93

-19.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.19

$19.41 $19.41

-12.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$10.36 $10.36

-13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.38

$19.77 $19.77

4.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$5.96 $5.96

-46.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.31 $2.31

-14.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$4.21 $4.21

-37.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$5.26 $5.26

-45.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$4.46 $4.46

-53.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$4.34 $4.34

-49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$3.03 $3.03

-49.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$2.98 $2.98

-67.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.20

$14.56 $14.56

-52.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$14.78 $14.78

-46.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.85 $1.85

-23.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.50 $3.50

-23.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$2.01 $2.01

64.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.79

$60.4 $60.4

-57.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.08 $3.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.14 $2.14

-30.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.25

$41.51 $41.51

-20.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.15 $1.15

62.61%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$27.7K $27.7K

18.92%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

23.25%

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

$183 €163

$171 $171

7.03%

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

$14.24 €12.67

$49.83 $49.83

-71.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.76

$49.27 $49.27

-29.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.76

$40.19 $40.19

27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.58

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.85

$19.92 $19.92

-44.48%

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

$944 €840

$1,495 $1,495

-36.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$20.2K $20.2K

10.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$50.4 $50.4

73.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.51

$51.8 $51.8

-25.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.0

$85.8 $85.8

21.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$101 $101

16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,510

$1,735 $1,735

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,190

$1,303 $1,303

2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,396

$2,251 $2,251

19.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,848

$2,029 $2,029

2.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,367

$2,970 $2,970

140.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,520

$2,254 $2,254

125.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,995

$3,711 $3,711

-39.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.72

-52.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Passaic, NJ: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Passaic, NJ

$1.3K 48.6% 2.5% $34

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Passaic, NJ

$479 17.8% 46.1% $151

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Passaic, NJ

$340 12.7% 27.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Passaic, NJ

$270 10.1% 16.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Passaic, NJ

$130 4.8% 17.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Passaic, NJ

$80 3% 8.8% $6.5

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Passaic, NJ

$82 3.1% 66.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,735 in Passaic, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Passaic, NJ pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $80 in Passaic, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $479 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Passaic, NJ

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

67,974

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Passaic, NJ 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Passaic, 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 Passaic, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $2,684 in Passaic, NJ, so Barcelona is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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 $1,735 in Passaic, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $1,495 in Passaic, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Passaic, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Passaic, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.