Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,118 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,111 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,103 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador costs roughly 9% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 59% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 CA$25.75

$17.66 €15.46

3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 CA$102

$69.7 €61.0

4.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.61 CA$16.33

$14.16 €12.40

-18.01%

Cappuccino

$3.30 CA$4.65

$2.80 €2.45

17.86%

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

$2.51 CA$3.53

$2.81 €2.46

-10.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.53

$2.06 €1.81

-12.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 CA$7.09

$4.60 €4.03

9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 CA$7.29

$4.69 €4.11

10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 CA$4.25

$1.23 €1.08

145.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 CA$4.39

$2.03 €1.78

53.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.24

$1.98 €1.73

124.24%

Eggs

$3.82 CA$5.37

$3.49 €3.05

9.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 CA$12.74

$18.33 €16.05

-50.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 CA$18.22

$9.83 €8.61

31.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 CA$15.96

$19.13 €16.75

-40.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 CA$7.77

$2.73 €2.39

102.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.23

$2.38 €2.09

-3.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.50 CA$7.74

$2.08 €1.82

164.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.43

$2.75 €2.41

14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.97

$1.96 €1.72

7.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.74

$1.79 €1.57

48.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.37 CA$4.74

$1.48 €1.29

127.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CA$3.15

$0.91 €0.80

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.48 CA$20.37

$7.13 €6.25

103.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.08 CA$19.81

$7.88 €6.90

78.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.29 CA$6.04

$1.38 €1.21

210.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CA$6.73

$2.39 €2.09

100.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 CA$2.66

$3.01 €2.64

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 CA$79.4

$29.35 €25.71

92.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 CA$4.68

$4.36 €3.82

-23.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.47

$2.13 €1.86

-17.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.32 CA$42.66

$29.60 €25.93

2.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.82 €1.60

-29.67%

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

$24.7K CA$34.7K

$37.9K €33.2K

-34.87%

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

$22.6K CA$31.8K

$32.4K €28.4K

-30.17%

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

$197 CA$277

$189 €166

4.27%

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

$57.6 CA$81.1

$22.29 €19.52

158.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 CA$111

$37.16 €32.55

112.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.4 CA$110

$58.0 €50.8

35.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 CA$15.63

$20.66 €18.09

-46.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 CA$12.36

$10.87 €9.52

-19.23%

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

$491 CA$691

$706 €618

-30.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,797 CA$12.4K

$14.9K €13.0K

-40.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 CA$94.5

$89.4 €78.3

-24.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 CA$73.3

$36.60 €32.06

42.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 CA$117

$104 €91.1

-19.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 CA$136

$119 €105

-18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,334

$1,579 €1,383

-39.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 CA$1,051

$1,238 €1,084

-39.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 CA$2,005

$2,712 €2,375

-47.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 CA$1,749

$2,039 €1,786

-39.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 CA$2,776

$7,527 €6,592

-73.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,575 CA$2,217

$5,239 €4,588

-69.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,734 CA$3,847

$2,364 €2,070

15.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

3.39

99.71%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $320 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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Barcelona differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,118 vs $2,320 including rent). St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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: $948 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,118 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.