Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,006 in Staten Island, NY.

Barcelona $2,453
Staten Island, NY $3,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $4,490 in Staten Island, NY.

Barcelona $3,509
Staten Island, NY $4,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $5,974 in Staten Island, NY.

Barcelona $4,564
Staten Island, NY $5,974

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 18% less than in Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Staten Island, NY 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.69

$23.28 $23.28

-24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.2

$89.1 $89.1

-24.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.07

$13.60 $13.60

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.85

$6.74 $6.74

-52.67%

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

$2.91 €2.60

$2.58 $2.58

12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.65 $1.65

14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.58

$8.04 $8.04

-50.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.04

$7.98 $7.98

-43.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.24 $1.24

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.80

$4.94 $4.94

-59.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$6.42 $6.42

-71.18%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.31

$5.96 $5.96

-18.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.93

$17.57 $17.57

-4.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.14

$13.89 $13.89

-34.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.52

$19.69 $19.69

-0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$6.52 $6.52

-54.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$3.55 $3.55

-43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$6.70 $6.70

-59.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$7.03 $7.03

-60.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$4.35 $4.35

-51.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$4.38 $4.38

-52.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.92 $2.92

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$2.81 $2.81

-66.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.13

$19.04 $19.04

-63.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.04

$14.77 $14.77

-46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

$1.82 $1.82

-22.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

$3.52 $3.52

-27.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.80

$2.94 $2.94

6.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.70

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.67

$2.93 $2.93

2.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.16 $2.16

-31.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.78

$42.42 $42.42

-21.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.15 $1.15

56.52%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

-2.35%

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

$31.7K €28.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

19.18%

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

$180 €161

$224 $224

-19.37%

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

$13.84 €12.35

$74.3 $74.3

-81.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.06

$64.4 $64.4

-47.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €45.96

$116 $116

-55.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.24

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.81

$20.64 $20.64

-46.75%

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

$917 €818

$1,994 $1,994

-54.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$16.3K $16.3K

1.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.7

$72.3 $72.3

20.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.35

$37.91 $37.91

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.4

$105 $105

0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$107 $107

11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,516

$1,855 $1,855

-8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,209

$1,414 $1,414

-4.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,322

$3,364 $3,364

-22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,840

$2,420 $2,420

-14.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,169

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,575

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,972

$6,788 $6,788

-67.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

6.8

-51.76%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47% 4.3% $58

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Staten Island, NY

$521 17.3% 62% $199

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7% 42.2% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Staten Island, NY

$362 12.1% 59% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Staten Island, NY

$145 4.8% 8.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Staten Island, NY

$157 5.2% 113% $83

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Staten Island, NY

$25 * 0.9% 47.5% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,855 in Staten Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $89 in Staten Island, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $521 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🕒 Local time

20:10 8:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

6 h behind Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

495,747

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Staten Island, NY 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, so Barcelona is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,855 in Staten Island, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $1,994 in Staten Island, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $89 in Staten Island, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Staten Island, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Staten Island, NY are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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