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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,283 in Fukushima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,002 in Fukushima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,721 in Fukushima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 84% more expensive than Fukushima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Fukushima is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$6.95 ¥1,115

152.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$37.41 ¥5,997

82.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$6.97 ¥1,118

101.72%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.75 ¥601

-25.87%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.87 ¥140

221.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.84 ¥134

145.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$2.54 ¥407

75.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$3.18 ¥510

44.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.58 ¥253

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.58 ¥254

28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$4.67 ¥748

-58.89%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.28 ¥365

45.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$9.98 ¥1,600

84.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$6.25 ¥1,002

51.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$15.71 ¥2,518

21.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$5.35 ¥857

-50.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.64 ¥424

-7.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$3.91 ¥626

-45.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$6.03 ¥967

-52.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.14 ¥504

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.61 ¥418

-29.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.32 ¥212

11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.83 ¥133

1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$4.12 ¥661

73.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$7.86 ¥1,260

0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.91 ¥306

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.25 ¥361

2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$1.67 ¥268

78.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$54.4 ¥8,713

-46.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$3.45 ¥553

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.96 ¥475

-30.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$20.60 ¥3,302

41.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.17 ¥188

57.26%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

68.98%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

90.11%

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

$188 €163

$146 ¥23.3K

28.97%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$26.64 ¥4,271

-13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$33.90 ¥5,433

8.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$56.8 ¥9,102

1.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$13.69 ¥2,194

51.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$12.46 ¥1,997

-10.19%

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

$721 €625

$285 ¥45.6K

153.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

11.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$42.48 ¥6,809

102.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$28.97 ¥4,644

27.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$58.9 ¥9,448

73.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$91.2 ¥14.6K

27.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$476 ¥76.4K

221.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$326 ¥52.2K

274.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$876 ¥140.5K

207.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$649 ¥104.0K

210.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$4,247 ¥680.7K

70.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$2,300 ¥368.6K

125.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

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 Fukushima: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $476 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $316 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 84% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,283 including rent). Fukushima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,925 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $476 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $285 in Fukushima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,283 in Fukushima versus $2,367 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 84% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.