Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fukushima Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fukushima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,167 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,869 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,570 in Fukushima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 113% more expensive than in Fukushima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Fukushima is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$6.11 ¥938

201.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$31.21 ¥4,792

122.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.04 ¥773

178.77%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.95 ¥453

5.42%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.08 ¥166

174.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.77 ¥119

153.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.54 ¥390

57.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.11 ¥478

48.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.43 ¥220

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.47 ¥226

43.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$4.16 ¥638

-56.01%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.06 ¥317

150.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$11.12 ¥1,707

57.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.15 ¥944

54.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$16.93 ¥2,600

17.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$4.87 ¥748

-34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.27 ¥349

-2.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.07 ¥472

-14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.23 ¥650

-32.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.55 ¥391

-14.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.28 ¥350

-7.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.26 ¥194

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.77 ¥119

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.77 ¥578

90.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$7.30 ¥1,121

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.82 ¥280

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.05 ¥315

34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.44 ¥221

118.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$56.0 ¥8,594

-53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.12 ¥478

3.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.80 ¥430

-46.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$18.67 ¥2,867

88.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.10 ¥169

59.09%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$20.9K ¥3.2M

75.17%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

114.42%

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

$187 €161

$132 ¥20.3K

41.44%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$23.69 ¥3,638

-36.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$30.87 ¥4,741

21.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$49.68 ¥7,628

11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$12.03 ¥1,847

-2.66%

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

$1,011 €871

$546 ¥83.9K

85.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$12.7K ¥2.0M

34.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$49.45 ¥7,593

84.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$31.52 ¥4,840

30.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$59.8 ¥9,181

84.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$90.6 ¥13.9K

39.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$461 ¥70.8K

269.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$318 ¥48.8K

308.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,230

$1,061 ¥162.9K

143.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$742 ¥113.9K

160.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,664

$4,280 ¥657.2K

80.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,640

$1,924 ¥295.4K

179.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.06

53.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $461 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $295 per month, with Fukushima 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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fukushima differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,167 including rent). Fukushima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,751 in Fukushima to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $461 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $546 in Fukushima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,167 in Fukushima versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima 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 Fukushima 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 Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.