Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Staten Island, NY and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,381 a month against $2,998 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Staten Island, NY and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Staten Island, NY and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,998 in Staten Island, NY versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

Staten Island, NY $2,998
Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,498 in Staten Island, NY versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

Staten Island, NY $4,498
Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,998 in Staten Island, NY versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

Staten Island, NY $5,998
Barcelona $4,431

Living in Staten Island, NY is roughly 26% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staten Island, NY 121% above, Barcelona 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.72 $23.72

$17.89 €15.92

32.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.8 $88.8

$66.2 €58.9

34.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 $13.47

$13.69 €12.18

-1.61%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$3.06 €2.72

113.73%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$3.07 €2.73

-13.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.94 €1.73

-15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.87 €3.44

102.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$4.61 €4.10

77.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.30 €1.16

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.10 €1.87

134.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$1.83 €1.62

269.40%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$4.62 €4.11

26.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$17.36 €15.44

0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$9.28 €8.25

50.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$19.83 €17.64

-3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.01 €2.68

125.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.03 €1.81

71.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.65 €2.36

129.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$2.87 €2.55

137.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.16 €1.92

89.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.15 €1.91

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.47 €1.31

89.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.88 €0.79

223.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.80 $17.80

$6.93 €6.16

156.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$7.83 €6.96

88.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.39 €1.24

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.63 €2.34

39.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.91 €2.59

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.00 €2.66

0.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.44 €1.28

53.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$33.20 €29.53

28.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.86 €1.65

-38.17%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$32.3K €28.8K

0.69%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$31.7K €28.2K

-17.10%

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

$213 $213

$183 €163

16.71%

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

$75.0 $75.0

$13.61 €12.11

451.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$32.93 €29.29

94.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$54.7 €48.65

109.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$20.36 $20.36

$11.23 €9.99

81.30%

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

$2,001 $2,001

$954 €849

109.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$16.6K €14.8K

-2.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 $71.9

$86.0 €76.5

-16.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.12 $37.12

$39.11 €34.78

-5.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$104 €92.2

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$119 €106

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 $1,851

$1,695 €1,508

9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$1,276 €1,135

11.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,379 $3,379

$2,576 €2,291

31.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$1,922 €1,710

28.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,817 $6,817

$2,227 €1,981

206.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

3.28

107.32%

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

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47.5%

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6% 10.3% $147

Groceries & Markets

Staten Island, NY

$517 17.3%

Barcelona

$325 13.7% 37.1% $192

Eating Out

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 29.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staten Island, NY

$352 11.8%

Barcelona

$229 9.6% 34.9% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Staten Island, NY

$156 5.2%

Barcelona

$77 3.2% 50.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Staten Island, NY

$143 4.8%

Barcelona

$156 6.6% 9.5% $14

Getting Around

Staten Island, NY

$26 * 0.9%

Barcelona

$47 2% 82% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,851 in Staten Island, NY and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 206% 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: $89.0 in Staten Island, NY vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $325 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

6 h ahead of Staten Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,747

1,660,122

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Staten Island, NY Barcelona 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Staten Island, NY
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 26% in total monthly costs ($2,998 vs $2,381 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 206% higher in Staten Island, NY, 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: $1,851 in Staten Island, NY versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,001 in Staten Island, NY versus $954 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 $66.0 versus $89.0 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 26% less than in Staten Island, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.