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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,080 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,071 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,062 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 14% more expensive than Saint John, New Brunswick, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Saint John, New Brunswick 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$22.24 CA$30.93

-20.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$61.4 CA$85.3

11.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.29 CA$14.31

36.64%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.13 CA$4.35

-11.18%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.67 CA$2.32

67.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.17 CA$1.63

76.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.39 CA$6.11

1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.11 CA$7.10

-9.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.00 CA$2.78

-38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.89 CA$4.02

-29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.81 CA$2.52

6.08%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.57 CA$4.97

-7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$11.72 CA$16.30

57.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.08 CA$12.63

4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$16.22 CA$22.56

18.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.06 CA$5.65

-34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.45 CA$2.01

68.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.58 CA$4.98

-40.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.42 CA$6.15

-35.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.07 CA$2.88

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.10 CA$2.92

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.65 CA$3.68

-44.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.45 CA$2.01

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$18.72 CA$26.03

-61.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.00 CA$13.91

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.34 CA$4.65

-58.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.33 CA$4.63

-30.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.15 CA$3.00

38.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$59.0 CA$82.0

-50.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.77 CA$5.24

22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.17 CA$1.63

76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$29.32 CA$40.77

-0.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.22 CA$1.70

50.82%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.2K CA$35.0K

54.95%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.1K CA$27.9K

62.86%

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

$188 €162

$127 CA$177

47.33%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$37.17 CA$51.7

-38.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$63.0 CA$87.6

-41.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$42.12 CA$58.6

36.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$36.97 CA$51.4

-44.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.97 CA$15.25

2.01%

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

$721 €621

$164 CA$228

339.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$11.7K CA$16.3K

28.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.72 CA$58.0

106.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$41.98 CA$58.4

-11.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$87.5 CA$122

16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$122 CA$169

-4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,053 CA$1,464

45.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$944 CA$1,313

29.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,611 CA$2,241

67.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,400 CA$1,948

43.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,090 CA$2,907

245.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,159 CA$3,002

140.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$2,682 CA$3,729

-12.02%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,053 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $347, 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 14% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,080 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 14% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,053 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $164 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 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,080 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,367 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 14% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.