Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bedford, MA and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bedford, MA and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,507 in New Bedford, MA versus $2,316 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,232 in New Bedford, MA versus $3,458 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,956 in New Bedford, MA versus $4,601 in Barcelona.

Living in New Bedford, MA is roughly 8% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Bedford, MA 88% above, Barcelona 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 $11.76

$17.19 €15.06

-31.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 $51.0

$70.7 €62.0

-27.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$14.02 €12.29

-13.34%

Cappuccino

$4.38 $4.38

$2.78 €2.44

57.55%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$2.78 €2.44

-0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.05 €1.79

1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.52 €3.96

-13.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.67 €4.09

26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.29 €1.13

-20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.14 €1.87

103.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.93 €1.69

170.98%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.49 €3.05

38.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$18.52 €16.23

-5.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$9.53 €8.35

35.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$18.90 €16.56

-24.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$2.62 €2.30

146.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.34 €2.05

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.08 €1.82

181.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.85 €2.50

109.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.96 €1.72

66.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.85 €1.62

88.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.53 €1.34

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.90 €0.79

144.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 $14.04

$6.77 €5.93

107.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$7.79 €6.82

92.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.38 €1.21

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.32 €2.04

9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.00 €2.62

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.15 $28.15

$28.62 €25.08

-1.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.58 €4.01

17.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.13 €1.86

-6.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.06 $29.06

$29.55 €25.89

-1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.80 €1.57

-50.00%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$38.5K €33.7K

-26.50%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$33.3K €29.1K

-25.07%

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

$128 $128

$185 €162

-30.99%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$22.68 €19.87

136.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.26 $45.26

$36.78 €32.22

23.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.22 $29.22

$57.8 €50.6

-49.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 $12.04

$10.83 €9.49

11.17%

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

$1,262 $1,262

$727 €637

73.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.1K $33.1K

$14.7K €12.9K

124.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.54 $34.54

$87.6 €76.7

-60.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 $38.51

$37.37 €32.74

3.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 $54.8

$103 €90.5

-46.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 $97.8

$119 €104

-17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$1,560 €1,367

-3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$1,221 €1,070

9.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 $1,696

$2,742 €2,402

-38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$1,992 €1,745

-26.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,865 $4,865

$2,355 €2,063

106.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

3.39

88.20%

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

Last update for New Bedford, MA: July 21, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,512 in New Bedford, MA and $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Bedford, MA pays 107% 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: $51.0 in New Bedford, MA vs $71.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $446 vs $319, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

New Bedford, MA vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Bedford, MA and Barcelona differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,507 vs $2,316 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% higher in New Bedford, MA, 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: $1,512 in New Bedford, MA versus $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,262 in New Bedford, MA versus $727 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in New Bedford, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,507 in New Bedford, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in New Bedford, MA. 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, New Bedford, MA 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 8% less than in New Bedford, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.