Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,552 in Long Island, NY versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,146 in Long Island, NY versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,739 in Long Island, NY versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Long Island, NY is roughly 51% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Island, NY 167% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$17.15 €14.96

16.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$68.1 €59.3

45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 $13.36

$13.64 €11.89

-2.05%

Cappuccino

$4.69 $4.69

$2.78 €2.42

68.71%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$2.82 €2.46

-13.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.96 €1.71

-12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.43 €3.86

54.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$4.61 €4.01

69.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.27 €1.11

-5.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.13 €1.86

74.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.99 €1.73

151.76%

Eggs

$4.71 $4.71

$3.37 €2.93

39.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 $17.37

$18.96 €16.53

-8.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 $11.94

$9.53 €8.31

25.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.63 $15.63

$18.73 €16.33

-16.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.65 €2.31

82.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.35 €2.05

-27.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.09 €1.82

92.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.73 €2.38

49.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.96 €1.71

39.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.81 €1.58

117.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.51 €1.32

47.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.89 €0.78

161.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.20 $12.20

$6.78 €5.91

79.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.30 $15.30

$7.92 €6.90

93.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.37 €1.19

27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.40 €2.09

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.91 €2.54

-1.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 $129

$28.66 €24.98

349.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.58 €3.99

-32.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.04 €1.78

-0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.37 $24.37

$28.72 €25.03

-15.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.82 €1.59

-51.65%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$39.3K €34.3K

-40.00%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$32.5K €28.3K

-24.53%

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

$127 $127

$187 €163

-31.88%

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

$45.45 $45.45

$22.29 €19.43

103.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$36.37 €31.71

66.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.68 $33.68

$57.5 €50.2

-41.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 $13.12

$10.77 €9.39

21.82%

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

$2,288 $2,288

$725 €632

215.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$15.2K €13.2K

58.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.43 $39.43

$87.9 €76.6

-55.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.3 $63.3

$36.81 €32.09

72.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 $73.7

$103 €90.2

-28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$119 €103

10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 $2,298

$1,524 €1,328

50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,224 $2,224

$1,227 €1,070

81.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,021 $4,021

$2,727 €2,378

47.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 $3,494

$1,984 €1,730

76.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,249 $4,249

$7,469 €6,511

-43.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,271 $4,271

$5,243 €4,571

-18.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,059 $5,059

$2,393 €2,086

111.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

3.39

89.97%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,298 in Long Island, NY and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Island, NY pays 111% 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: $99.0 in Long Island, NY vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $319 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

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

Long Island, NY and Barcelona differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($3,552 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 111% higher in Long Island, 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: $2,298 in Long Island, NY versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,288 in Long Island, NY versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Long Island, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,552 in Long Island, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Long 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, Long Island, 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Long Island, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.