Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,091 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,356 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,020 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,455 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,949 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $4,553 in Barcelona.

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick costs roughly 11% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John, New Brunswick 55% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.77 CA$29.82

$17.64 €15.01

23.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 CA$83.6

$68.1 €58.0

-10.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 CA$14.31

$13.96 €11.88

-25.14%

Cappuccino

$3.03 CA$4.15

$2.76 €2.35

9.78%

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

$1.70 CA$2.33

$2.76 €2.35

-38.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CA$1.67

$1.97 €1.67

-38.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 CA$6.01

$4.53 €3.85

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CA$6.97

$4.53 €3.85

12.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CA$2.69

$1.24 €1.05

58.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CA$3.99

$2.04 €1.73

42.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.45

$1.91 €1.63

-6.28%

Eggs

$3.55 CA$4.87

$3.39 €2.89

4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 CA$15.84

$18.34 €15.60

-36.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 CA$11.79

$9.39 €7.99

-8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.26 CA$22.28

$18.90 €16.08

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.52

$2.63 €2.23

53.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.06

$2.40 €2.04

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 CA$4.98

$2.12 €1.80

71.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 CA$6.06

$2.70 €2.30

64.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.88

$2.05 €1.75

2.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.01

$1.78 €1.52

23.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$1.47 €1.25

87.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.06

$0.91 €0.77

65.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.35 CA$25.14

$7.01 €5.97

161.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.08

$7.59 €6.46

35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 CA$4.54

$1.44 €1.22

129.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.62

$2.32 €1.97

45.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.07

$2.94 €2.50

-23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 CA$82.8

$29.38 €25.00

105.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.90

$4.53 €3.85

-21.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 CA$1.53

$2.14 €1.82

-47.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.47 CA$40.37

$28.97 €24.65

1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$1.89 €1.61

-38.10%

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

$25.1K CA$34.3K

$39.0K €33.2K

-35.84%

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

$19.9K CA$27.3K

$32.4K €27.6K

-38.56%

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

$127 CA$175

$189 €161

-32.50%

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

$38.36 CA$52.6

$22.24 €18.92

72.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 CA$86.9

$36.57 €31.12

73.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.93 CA$58.8

$58.0 €49.38

-26.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.01 CA$50.7

$21.30 €18.13

73.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 CA$15.16

$11.01 €9.37

0.45%

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

$168 CA$231

$731 €622

-76.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$14.8K €12.6K

-21.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.92 CA$56.1

$89.3 €76.0

-54.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.57 CA$58.3

$37.38 €31.81

13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 CA$116

$105 €89.0

-18.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$168

$116 €99.0

5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 CA$1,422

$1,551 €1,320

-33.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 CA$1,333

$1,216 €1,035

-19.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 CA$2,178

$2,799 €2,382

-43.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CA$1,979

$2,008 €1,709

-28.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,133 CA$2,922

$7,161 €6,094

-70.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 CA$3,016

$5,021 €4,273

-56.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,684 CA$3,677

$2,462 €2,095

8.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

3.39

82.30%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: April 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $68 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $316, 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

Saint John, New Brunswick vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint John, New Brunswick and Barcelona differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,091 vs $2,356 including rent). Saint John, New Brunswick is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 9% 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: $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,551 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $731 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,091 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saint John, New Brunswick but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Saint John, New Brunswick 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, Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick 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.