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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,312 in Fukuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,066 in Fukuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,820 in Fukuoka.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 83% more expensive than Fukuoka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Fukuoka is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$8.36 ¥1,341

111.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$41.76 ¥6,698

67.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$6.10 ¥979

123.93%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$3.04 ¥487

-9.87%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.04 ¥166

168.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.80 ¥129

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.63 ¥261

167.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.13 ¥341

115.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.73 ¥277

-25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.61 ¥258

27.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$4.19 ¥673

-52.74%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.62 ¥419

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$20.84 ¥3,344

-10.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$6.28 ¥1,007

52.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$21.01 ¥3,370

-10.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.13 ¥502

-12.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.41 ¥227

75.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.41 ¥226

48.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$5.79 ¥929

-51.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.79 ¥448

-27.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.24 ¥520

-42.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.91 ¥146

65.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.79 ¥127

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$3.93 ¥631

79.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$6.16 ¥989

29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.02 ¥323

-29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.14 ¥343

7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.85 ¥296

55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$41.40 ¥6,641

-31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$4.53 ¥727

-3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$4.54 ¥728

-52.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$19.90 ¥3,192

46.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.24 ¥199

50.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.2K ¥3.7M

67.67%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$19.8K ¥3.2M

65.07%

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

$189 €163

$219 ¥35.1K

-13.46%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$27.53 ¥4,417

-17.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$35.63 ¥5,716

2.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$58.2 ¥9,336

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$3.51 ¥562

508.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$13.71 ¥2,199

-21.15%

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

$726 €625

$415 ¥66.6K

75.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

14.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$42.54 ¥6,824

106.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$29.68 ¥4,761

24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$65.3 ¥10.5K

58.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$61.8 ¥9,917

88.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$538 ¥86.3K

192.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$296 ¥47.5K

312.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,035 ¥166.1K

161.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$697 ¥111.8K

182.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$6,297 ¥1.0M

24.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$2,635 ¥422.7K

99.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,547 ¥248.2K

53.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.67

102.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $538 in Fukuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 53% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Fukuoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $331, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,312 including rent). Fukuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 53% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $538 in Fukuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $415 in Fukuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,312 in Fukuoka versus $2,399 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 83% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.