Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Akita Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Akita

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,367 per month in Barcelona vs $1,273 in Akita, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,465 per month in Barcelona vs $1,954 in Akita, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,563 per month in Barcelona vs $2,635 in Akita, rent included.

Barcelona costs about 86% more than Akita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barcelona sits 77% above the global median, while Akita is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$6.94 ¥1,113

153.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$35.26 ¥5,652

94.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$5.45 ¥873

157.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.80 ¥608

-26.84%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.05 ¥168

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.93 ¥148

121.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$2.10 ¥337

112.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$3.18 ¥510

44.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.60 ¥256

-22.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.57 ¥252

29.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$4.88 ¥782

-60.66%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.28 ¥366

45.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$9.94 ¥1,593

85.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$6.42 ¥1,030

47.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$15.43 ¥2,473

24.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$5.32 ¥853

-50.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.55 ¥409

-3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$4.04 ¥647

-47.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$5.85 ¥938

-51.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.12 ¥500

-34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.67 ¥429

-30.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.33 ¥213

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.90 ¥144

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$4.22 ¥676

69.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$8.32 ¥1,333

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.91 ¥307

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.23 ¥358

3.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$1.67 ¥267

78.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$55.6 ¥8,907

-47.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$3.53 ¥566

30.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.86 ¥459

-27.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$20.48 ¥3,282

42.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.45 ¥233

26.90%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

68.66%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

85.91%

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

$188 €163

$144 ¥23.0K

30.89%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$27.16 ¥4,353

-15.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$34.38 ¥5,510

6.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$55.5 ¥8,894

3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$13.96 ¥2,238

48.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$12.38 ¥1,985

-9.61%

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

$721 €625

$285 ¥45.6K

153.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

14.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$45.60 ¥7,310

89.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$29.11 ¥4,666

27.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$59.3 ¥9,504

72.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$91.2 ¥14.6K

27.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$468 ¥75.0K

227.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$333 ¥53.4K

266.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$865 ¥138.7K

211.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$669 ¥107.2K

200.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$4,561 ¥731.0K

58.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$2,373 ¥380.3K

118.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$1,595 ¥255.6K

47.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.78

90.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Akita: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in Barcelona versus $468 in Akita. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Barcelona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Barcelona versus $35.00 in Akita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $317 – making Akita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Barcelona vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona costs about 86% more than Akita, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,550 per month in Barcelona and $1,909 in Akita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 90% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $721 per month in Barcelona and $285 in Akita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Akita, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Barcelona at $2,367. In Akita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Akita costs $1,273 versus $2,367 in Barcelona. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Akita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.