Cost of Living Comparison Between Islip, NY and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Islip, NY and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,056 in Islip, NY versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,685 in Islip, NY versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,314 in Islip, NY versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Islip, NY costs roughly 57% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Islip, NY is 23% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$18.42 €15.88

6.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 $58.9

$69.4 €59.8

-15.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 $11.21

$14.05 €12.11

-20.21%

Cappuccino

$3.94 $3.94

$3.11 €2.68

26.69%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$2.96 €2.55

-31.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.95 €1.69

-21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.99 €3.44

105.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$4.62 €3.98

71.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.32 €1.14

-43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.11 €1.82

27.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.83 €1.57

130.60%

Eggs

$2.23 $2.23

$5.16 €4.45

-56.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$17.56 €15.14

-29.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$9.50 €8.19

-35.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$19.93 €17.18

-44.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.17 €2.73

37.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.21 €1.91

-41.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.61 €2.25

-18.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.85 €2.46

-2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.17 €1.87

-20.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.11 €1.81

6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.62 €1.39

-8.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.88 €0.76

20.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 $11.28

$7.17 €6.18

57.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$8.33 €7.18

53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.50 €1.29

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.75 €2.37

99.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.14 €2.70

42.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.22 €2.78

-4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.51 €1.30

32.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 $23.74

$35.26 €30.39

-32.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.75 €1.51

-42.29%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$36.7K €31.6K

1.85%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$31.7K €27.3K

-19.82%

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

$79.9 $79.9

$187 €161

-57.28%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$15.10 €13.01

367.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$37.60 €32.41

79.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 $58.3

$55.5 €47.83

5.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 $14.37

$11.71 €10.09

22.72%

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

$2,290 $2,290

$1,011 €871

126.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$17.1K €14.7K

38.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.72 $41.72

$91.4 €78.8

-54.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.08 $27.08

$41.00 €35.34

-33.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 $72.4

$111 €95.3

-34.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 $90.2

$126 €109

-28.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 $2,015

$1,704 €1,469

18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,406 $3,406

$2,588 €2,231

31.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,940 $3,940

$2,374 €2,046

65.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

3.16

95.25%

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

Last update for Islip, NY: September 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,015 in Islip, NY and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Islip, NY pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Islip, NY vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $333 per month, with Islip, NY 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

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

Islip, NY and Barcelona differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($1,056 vs $2,482 including rent). Islip, NY is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Islip, 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: $2,015 in Islip, NY versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,290 in Islip, NY versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Islip, NY – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Islip, NY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Islip, NY 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 Islip, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.