Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fukuoka Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fukuoka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,222 in Fukuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,938 in Fukuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,655 in Fukuoka.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 103% more expensive than in Fukuoka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Fukuoka is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$7.00 ¥1,093

167.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$44.80 ¥6,991

55.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.85 ¥913

135.38%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.34 ¥521

-7.19%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.04 ¥162

172.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.69 ¥108

172.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.85 ¥601

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.33 ¥363

94.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 ¥257

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.87 ¥292

15.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$6.79 ¥1,059

-74.08%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.28 ¥356

125.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$18.86 ¥2,942

-5.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.48 ¥855

76.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$19.38 ¥3,025

3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.78 ¥590

-14.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.85 ¥289

20.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.94 ¥459

-11.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.49 ¥544

-20.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.22 ¥346

-0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.69 ¥419

-21.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.11 ¥173

39.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.99 ¥155

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.11 ¥641

78.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.51 ¥1,016

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.68 ¥262

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.93 ¥301

44.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.58 ¥246

96.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$42.72 ¥6,666

-39.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.98 ¥621

-17.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.09 ¥326

-29.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$18.42 ¥2,873

86.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.13 ¥176

53.10%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

66.76%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

73.24%

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

$187 €163

$195 ¥30.5K

-4.16%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$25.23 ¥3,937

-39.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$34.36 ¥5,361

9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$51.8 ¥8,075

8.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.13 ¥1,737

2.52%

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

$997 €869

$130 ¥20.3K

664.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$12.8K ¥2.0M

29.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$39.42 ¥6,151

134.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$24.43 ¥3,813

68.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$60.6 ¥9,462

83.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$47.85 ¥7,466

161.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$491 ¥76.5K

248.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$265 ¥41.3K

385.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,129 ¥176.1K

127.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$674 ¥105.2K

187.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$6,461 ¥1.0M

18.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,770 ¥432.2K

86.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,964 ¥306.4K

19.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.85

70.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $491 in Fukuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 20% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $45.00 in Fukuoka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $326 per month, with Fukuoka 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

Barcelona vs Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fukuoka differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,222 including rent). Fukuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $491 in Fukuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $130 in Fukuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,222 in Fukuoka versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fukuoka but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuoka 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, Barcelona and Fukuoka 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 Fukuoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.