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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,906 in Staten Island, NY versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,519 in Staten Island, NY versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,131 in Staten Island, NY versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Staten Island, NY is roughly 23% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staten Island, NY 117% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.96 $21.96

$17.58 €15.26

24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$68.4 €59.4

47.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$14.06 €12.20

-15.79%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$2.78 €2.41

108.99%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$2.80 €2.43

-15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.06 €1.79

-24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.46 €3.87

80.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$4.61 €4.00

70.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.24 €1.08

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.03 €1.76

122.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.14 $8.14

$1.92 €1.67

323.96%

Eggs

$6.70 $6.70

$3.31 €2.87

102.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$18.43 €15.99

-4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$9.49 €8.23

37.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.33 $20.33

$19.16 €16.62

6.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$2.64 €2.29

147.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.45 €2.12

6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$2.12 €1.84

179.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 $6.39

$2.85 €2.47

124.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.04 €1.77

88.73%

Onion (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.85 €1.61

119.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.47 €1.28

88.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$0.84 €0.73

232.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.95 $18.95

$7.14 €6.20

165.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$7.88 €6.84

87.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.38 €1.20

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.31 €2.00

63.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.98 €2.59

-1.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.60 €3.99

-33.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.07 €1.79

7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.52 $42.52

$29.18 €25.32

45.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.84 €1.60

-51.63%

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

$34.7K $34.7K

$39.0K €33.8K

-11.02%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$32.7K €28.4K

-15.73%

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

$216 $216

$188 €163

14.82%

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

$59.3 $59.3

$22.93 €19.90

158.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$36.71 €31.85

72.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 $118

$57.4 €49.78

106.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$20.13 $20.13

$11.19 €9.71

79.89%

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

$1,999 $1,999

$721 €625

177.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$15.0K €13.1K

8.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 $67.1

$86.2 €74.8

-22.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.41 $37.41

$37.07 €32.16

0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$102 €88.5

12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$116 €101

-11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 $1,783

$1,534 €1,331

16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 $1,389

$1,220 €1,059

13.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 $3,271

$2,696 €2,339

21.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 $2,677

$2,013 €1,747

32.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,188 $6,188

$2,359 €2,047

162.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

3.39

98.82%

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

Last update for Staten Island, NY: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,783 in Staten Island, NY and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 162% 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: $101 in Staten Island, NY vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $513 vs $318 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

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

Staten Island, NY and Barcelona differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,906 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Staten Island, NY pays 162% 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: $1,783 in Staten Island, NY versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,999 in Staten Island, NY versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $101 in Staten Island, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Staten 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 23% less than in Staten Island, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.