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: $2,916 in Staten Island, NY versus $2,316 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,517 in Staten Island, NY versus $3,458 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,119 in Staten Island, NY versus $4,601 in Barcelona.

Living in Staten Island, NY is roughly 26% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staten Island, NY 118% above, Barcelona 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.33 $22.33

$17.19 €15.06

29.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$70.7 €62.0

42.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$14.02 €12.29

-13.77%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$2.78 €2.44

118.35%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$2.78 €2.44

-17.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.05 €1.79

-20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$4.52 €3.96

74.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$4.67 €4.09

66.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.29 €1.13

13.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.14 €1.87

118.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.98 $7.98

$1.93 €1.69

313.47%

Eggs

$6.49 $6.49

$3.49 €3.05

85.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$18.52 €16.23

-7.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$9.53 €8.35

37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.79 $19.79

$18.90 €16.56

4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$2.62 €2.30

156.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.34 €2.05

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$2.08 €1.82

186.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$2.85 €2.50

119.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.96 €1.72

89.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.85 €1.62

111.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.53 €1.34

78.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.90 €0.79

208.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.79 $18.79

$6.77 €5.93

177.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$7.79 €6.82

91.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.38 €1.21

32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.32 €2.04

67.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.00 €2.62

-6.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.58 €4.01

-33.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.13 €1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.40 $41.40

$29.55 €25.89

40.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.80 €1.57

-47.22%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$38.5K €33.7K

-7.91%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.3K €29.1K

-16.22%

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

$218 $218

$185 €162

18.02%

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

$59.3 $59.3

$22.68 €19.87

161.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$36.78 €32.22

74.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 $114

$57.8 €50.6

98.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

Cinema Ticket

$19.91 $19.91

$10.83 €9.49

83.84%

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

$1,970 $1,970

$727 €637

171.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$14.7K €12.9K

8.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$87.6 €76.7

-22.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.35 $37.35

$37.37 €32.74

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$103 €90.5

8.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$119 €104

-11.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 $1,745

$1,560 €1,367

11.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 $1,402

$1,221 €1,070

14.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,256 $3,256

$2,742 €2,402

18.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 $2,623

$1,992 €1,745

31.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,822 $5,822

$2,355 €2,063

147.25%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Staten Island, NY and $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 147% 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 $71.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $510 vs $319 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 26% in total monthly costs ($2,916 vs $2,316 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 147% 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: $1,745 in Staten Island, NY versus $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,970 in Staten Island, NY versus $727 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 $71.0 versus $101 in Staten Island, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,916 in Staten Island, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Staten Island, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, 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.