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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,970 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,928 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,887 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in Saint John, New Brunswick, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Saint John, New Brunswick 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$19.25 CA$26.64

-4.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$60.6 CA$83.8

14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$10.92 CA$15.12

29.40%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.16 CA$4.37

-0.95%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.81 CA$2.51

66.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.10 CA$1.52

78.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.59 CA$6.35

-12.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$5.14 CA$7.11

-7.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.19 CA$3.03

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.70 CA$3.74

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.22 CA$4.45

-47.52%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.69 CA$5.11

33.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$13.85 CA$19.17

29.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$10.81 CA$14.96

-11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$13.14 CA$18.18

47.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$5.15 CA$7.13

-37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.54 CA$2.12

41.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.31 CA$5.96

-38.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$4.06 CA$5.62

-31.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.13 CA$2.94

3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.24 CA$3.10

-2.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.66 CA$3.67

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.47 CA$2.04

-37.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$14.66 CA$20.29

-51.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$9.98 CA$13.81

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.85 CA$2.56

-18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.13 CA$2.94

30.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.19 CA$3.03

43.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$57.8 CA$80.0

-53.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.95 CA$4.09

10.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.22 CA$1.68

22.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$21.97 CA$30.41

58.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.21 CA$1.68

44.63%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$25.4K CA$35.2K

44.17%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$19.4K CA$26.9K

59.25%

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

$188 €161

$124 CA$172

50.97%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$41.81 CA$57.9

-63.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$65.4 CA$90.5

-42.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$54.6 CA$75.5

4.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$35.76 CA$49.49

-53.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$12.76 CA$17.65

-9.25%

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

$1,003 €863

$384 CA$531

161.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$11.5K CA$15.9K

48.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$51.5 CA$71.2

73.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$35.92 CA$49.70

13.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$106 CA$147

3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$110 CA$153

11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,011 CA$1,399

65.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$841 CA$1,163

58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,637 CA$2,265

58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,335 CA$1,847

46.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$2,072 CA$2,867

265.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,192 CA$3,033

145.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$2,491 CA$3,447

-3.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.69

-32.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,011 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $357, 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,970 including rent). Saint John, New Brunswick is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Saint John, New Brunswick. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,011 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $384 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 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,970 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,495 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 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.