Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brooklyn, NY and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brooklyn, NY and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY versus $2,443 in Barcelona.

Brooklyn, NY $4,230
Barcelona $2,443

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,364 in Brooklyn, NY versus $3,519 in Barcelona.

Brooklyn, NY $6,364
Barcelona $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,497 in Brooklyn, NY versus $4,595 in Barcelona.

Brooklyn, NY $8,497
Barcelona $4,595

Living in Brooklyn, NY is roughly 73% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brooklyn, NY 213% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$17.66 €15.79

15.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$67.5 €60.3

58.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$13.61 €12.17

-12.86%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.10 €2.77

77.10%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.00 €2.68

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.93 €1.72

17.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.84 €3.44

103.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$4.36 €3.90

104.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.25 €1.11

33.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.12 €1.90

116.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$1.97 €1.76

256.35%

Eggs

$6.59 $6.59

$4.76 €4.26

38.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 $16.57

$17.07 €15.26

-2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$8.96 €8.01

89.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$20.65 €18.46

-3.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.16 €2.83

150.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.97 €1.76

86.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.65 €2.37

97.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.88 €2.58

109.72%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.06 €1.84

95.15%

Onion (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.18 €1.95

119.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.53 €1.37

72.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.97 €0.87

150.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.04 $15.04

$6.97 €6.23

115.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.33 $21.33

$7.89 €7.05

170.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.42 €1.27

92.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.69 €2.40

21.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.31 €2.96

-11.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$183 $183

$25.61 €22.90

614.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.08 €2.76

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.48 €1.33

44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$32.87 €29.40

29.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.87 €1.67

-39.04%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$33.0K €29.5K

-5.25%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$31.9K €28.6K

-18.92%

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

$219 $219

$183 €164

19.87%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$14.24 €12.73

324.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$34.56 €30.91

77.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$51.4 €45.98

138.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.28 $35.28

$16.38 €14.65

115.38%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$11.06 €9.89

81.37%

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

$3,022 $3,022

$944 €844

220.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$52.2K $52.2K

$22.3K €19.9K

134.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$87.7 €78.4

-20.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 $76.8

$38.77 €34.67

98.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$105 €93.5

16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$118 €105

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$1,697 €1,517

125.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,337 €1,195

83.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,537 $7,537

$2,692 €2,407

179.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$2,077 €1,857

113.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K $12.4K

$7,155 €6,398

73.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,713 $7,713

$5,079 €4,542

51.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 $3,614

$2,241 €2,004

61.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

3.19

112.54%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7% 45.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13%

Barcelona

$328 13.4% 40.3% $221

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Barcelona

$267 10.9% 21.7% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Barcelona

$232 9.5% 32.1% $109

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9%

Barcelona

$49 2% 76.3% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1%

Barcelona

$157 6.4% 9.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9%

Barcelona

$74 3% 54.8% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY and $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brooklyn, NY pays 61% 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: $107 in Brooklyn, NY vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $549 vs $328 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

6 h ahead of Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brooklyn, NY Barcelona 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, NY
Barcelona

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

Brooklyn, NY vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY and $2,443 in Barcelona, so Barcelona is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Brooklyn, NY, 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: $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY versus $1,697 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,022 in Brooklyn, NY versus $944 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Brooklyn, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,443 in Barcelona versus $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Brooklyn, 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.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Brooklyn, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.