Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sint-Niklaas Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sint-Niklaas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,027 in Sint-Niklaas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,968 in Sint-Niklaas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,909 in Sint-Niklaas.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 16% more expensive than in Sint-Niklaas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Sint-Niklaas 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$22.88 €19.81

-25.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$91.5 €79.2

-25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$12.66 €10.97

7.74%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.13 €3.57

-32.69%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$3.30 €2.85

-14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$3.01 €2.61

-34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$5.00 €4.33

-11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.09 €3.54

12.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.36 €1.17

-6.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.12 €1.84

0.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.66 €2.31

-25.19%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.50 €3.03

-3.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.86 €10.27

59.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$11.61 €10.05

-17.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$17.47 €15.13

7.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.61 €2.26

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.33 €2.02

0.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.03 €1.76

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.68 €2.32

1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.15 €1.87

-8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.67 €1.44

8.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.41 €1.22

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.87 €0.75

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$12.62 €10.93

-46.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.20 €6.23

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.68 €1.45

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.94 €1.68

23.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$55.7 €48.22

-48.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$5.81 €5.03

-21.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.44 €2.11

-16.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$35.02 €30.33

-17.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.86 €1.61

-2.15%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$30.2K €26.2K

30.19%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$28.1K €24.3K

15.54%

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

$187 €162

$197 €171

-5.32%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$25.42 €22.02

-12.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$48.20 €41.74

-24.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$38.44 €33.29

49.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.94 €14.67

22.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$14.32 €12.40

-24.79%

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

$725 €628

$652 €564

11.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$13.6K €11.8K

11.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$109 €94.7

-19.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$48.89 €42.34

-24.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$118 €102

-12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$174 €150

-31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$877 €759

73.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$739 €640

66.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,202 €1,041

126.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,010 €874

96.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,318 €2,873

125.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,965 €2,568

76.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,245 €1,944

6.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.27

3.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sint-Niklaas: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $877 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $91.0 in Sint-Niklaas. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $307, with Sint-Niklaas 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 Sint-Niklaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sint-Niklaas differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,027 including rent). Sint-Niklaas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $877 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $652 in Sint-Niklaas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,027 in Sint-Niklaas versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sint-Niklaas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sint-Niklaas 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 Sint-Niklaas 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 Sint-Niklaas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.