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: $2,080 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,071 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,062 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick costs roughly 12% 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 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.24 CA$30.93

$17.58 €15.14

26.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.4 CA$85.3

$68.4 €58.9

-10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 CA$14.31

$14.06 €12.10

-26.81%

Cappuccino

$3.13 CA$4.35

$2.78 €2.39

12.59%

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

$1.67 CA$2.32

$2.80 €2.41

-40.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$2.06 €1.78

-43.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 CA$6.11

$4.46 €3.84

-1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CA$7.10

$4.61 €3.97

10.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.78

$1.24 €1.07

61.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$2.03 €1.75

42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 CA$2.52

$1.92 €1.65

-5.73%

Eggs

$3.57 CA$4.97

$3.31 €2.85

7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.30

$18.43 €15.87

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 CA$12.63

$9.49 €8.17

-4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 CA$22.56

$19.16 €16.49

-15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.65

$2.64 €2.27

53.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.01

$2.45 €2.11

-40.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.98

$2.12 €1.83

68.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.15

$2.85 €2.45

55.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 CA$2.88

$2.04 €1.75

1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.92

$1.85 €1.59

13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.68

$1.47 €1.27

80.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.01

$0.84 €0.73

72.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 CA$26.03

$7.14 €6.15

162.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 CA$13.91

$7.88 €6.79

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 CA$4.65

$1.38 €1.19

142.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CA$4.63

$2.31 €1.99

44.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 CA$3.00

$2.98 €2.57

-27.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 CA$82.0

$29.26 €25.19

101.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 CA$5.24

$4.60 €3.96

-18.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$2.07 €1.78

-43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.32 CA$40.77

$29.18 €25.12

0.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.70

$1.84 €1.58

-33.70%

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

$25.2K CA$35.0K

$39.0K €33.6K

-35.46%

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

$20.1K CA$27.9K

$32.7K €28.1K

-38.60%

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

$127 CA$177

$188 €162

-32.13%

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

$37.17 CA$51.7

$22.93 €19.74

62.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CA$87.6

$36.71 €31.61

71.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.12 CA$58.6

$57.4 €49.39

-26.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.97 CA$51.4

$20.70 €17.82

78.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 CA$15.25

$11.19 €9.64

-1.97%

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

$164 CA$228

$721 €621

-77.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.3K

$15.0K €13.0K

-21.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.72 CA$58.0

$86.2 €74.2

-51.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 CA$58.4

$37.07 €31.92

13.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 CA$122

$102 €87.8

-14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$169

$116 €99.8

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 CA$1,464

$1,534 €1,320

-31.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 CA$1,313

$1,220 €1,051

-22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 CA$2,241

$2,696 €2,321

-40.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 CA$1,948

$2,013 €1,733

-30.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,090 CA$2,907

$7,220 €6,216

-71.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,159 CA$3,002

$5,189 €4,467

-58.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,682 CA$3,729

$2,359 €2,031

13.66%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,053 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $318, 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 14% in total monthly costs ($2,080 vs $2,367 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 14% 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: $1,053 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,080 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,367 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 14% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.