Cost of Living Comparison Between East Rutherford, NJ and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between East Rutherford, NJ and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,103 in East Rutherford, NJ versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,585 in East Rutherford, NJ versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,068 in East Rutherford, NJ versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in East Rutherford, NJ costs roughly 11% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: East Rutherford, NJ 57% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 $17.18

$17.58 €15.26

-2.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$68.4 €59.4

46.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.92 $12.92

$14.06 €12.20

-8.11%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$2.78 €2.41

83.09%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.80 €2.43

-13.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.06 €1.79

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 $7.17

$4.46 €3.87

60.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.61 €4.00

77.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.24 €1.08

-4.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.03 €1.76

90.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.92 €1.67

165.63%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$3.31 €2.87

42.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$18.43 €15.99

-46.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$9.49 €8.23

10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 $17.34

$19.16 €16.62

-9.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.64 €2.29

85.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.45 €2.12

-27.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.12 €1.84

90.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.85 €2.47

47.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.04 €1.77

40.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.85 €1.61

115.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.47 €1.28

68.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.84 €0.73

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.65 $13.65

$7.14 €6.20

91.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$7.88 €6.84

93.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.38 €1.20

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.31 €2.00

50.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.98 €2.59

-31.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.60 €3.99

-33.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.07 €1.79

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 $24.18

$29.18 €25.32

-17.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.84 €1.60

-51.09%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$39.0K €33.8K

-25.51%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$32.7K €28.4K

-23.28%

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

$123 $123

$188 €163

-34.30%

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

$43.60 $43.60

$22.93 €19.90

90.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$36.71 €31.85

80.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 $42.42

$57.4 €49.78

-26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 $17.10

$11.19 €9.71

52.82%

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

$1,423 $1,423

$721 €625

97.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$15.0K €13.1K

58.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.51 $37.51

$86.2 €74.8

-56.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.55 $23.55

$37.07 €32.16

-36.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 $74.1

$102 €88.5

-27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$116 €101

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 $1,090

$1,534 €1,331

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$1,220 €1,059

-21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,779 $2,779

$2,696 €2,339

3.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,338 $2,338

$2,013 €1,747

16.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,065 $3,065

$7,220 €6,264

-57.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,595 $2,595

$5,189 €4,502

-49.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,142 $5,142

$2,359 €2,047

117.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.39

95.28%

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

Last update for East Rutherford, NJ: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in East Rutherford, NJ and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Rutherford, NJ pays 118% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in East Rutherford, NJ vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $318 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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

East Rutherford, NJ vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East Rutherford, NJ and Barcelona differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,103 vs $2,367 including rent). East Rutherford, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

East Rutherford, NJ pays 118% more on average, 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: $1,090 in East Rutherford, NJ versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,423 in East Rutherford, NJ versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in East Rutherford, NJ – a meal for two runs $101 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,103 in East Rutherford, NJ versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in East Rutherford, NJ but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes East Rutherford, NJ 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, East Rutherford, NJ and Barcelona 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 East Rutherford, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.