Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saint John, New Brunswick Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Saint John, New Brunswick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,091 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,020 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,949 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 13% more expensive than Saint John, New Brunswick, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Saint John, New Brunswick 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$21.77 CA$29.82

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$61.0 CA$83.6

11.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$10.45 CA$14.31

33.59%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.03 CA$4.15

-8.91%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$1.70 CA$2.33

62.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$1.22 CA$1.67

61.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$4.39 CA$6.01

3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$5.09 CA$6.97

-11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.97 CA$2.69

-37.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.91 CA$3.99

-29.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.79 CA$2.45

6.70%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.55 CA$4.87

-4.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$11.56 CA$15.84

58.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$8.61 CA$11.79

9.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$16.26 CA$22.28

16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$4.03 CA$5.52

-34.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.50 CA$2.06

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$3.63 CA$4.98

-41.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$4.43 CA$6.06

-39.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.10 CA$2.88

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.20 CA$3.01

-19.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.75 CA$3.77

-46.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.51 CA$2.06

-39.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$18.35 CA$25.14

-61.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$10.28 CA$14.08

-26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$3.31 CA$4.54

-56.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$3.37 CA$4.62

-31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$2.24 CA$3.07

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$60.5 CA$82.8

-51.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$3.57 CA$4.90

26.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.12 CA$1.53

91.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$29.47 CA$40.37

-1.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.17 CA$1.61

61.54%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$25.1K CA$34.3K

55.85%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$19.9K CA$27.3K

62.77%

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

$189 €161

$127 CA$175

48.14%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$38.36 CA$52.6

-42.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$63.4 CA$86.9

-42.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$42.93 CA$58.8

35.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$37.01 CA$50.7

-42.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$11.06 CA$15.16

-0.45%

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

$731 €622

$168 CA$231

333.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$11.6K CA$15.9K

28.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$40.92 CA$56.1

118.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$42.57 CA$58.3

-12.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$85.0 CA$116

23.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$123 CA$168

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,038 CA$1,422

49.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$973 CA$1,333

24.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,590 CA$2,178

76.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,445 CA$1,979

39.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$2,133 CA$2,922

235.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,202 CA$3,016

128.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,684 CA$3,677

-8.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.18

-45.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $61 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $346, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Saint John, New Brunswick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Saint John, New Brunswick differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,091 including rent). Saint John, New Brunswick is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Saint John, New Brunswick earns 9% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $168 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,091 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saint John, New Brunswick but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.