Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hirakata Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hirakata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $1,198 in Hirakata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $1,903 in Hirakata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $2,607 in Hirakata.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 104% more expensive than in Hirakata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.35

$8.80 ¥1,390

108.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.6

$31.54 ¥4,981

112.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.25

$4.97 ¥786

176.66%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.82

$2.96 ¥468

7.09%

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

$2.88 €2.56

$1.25 ¥198

130.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.78 ¥123

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.46

$3.26 ¥515

19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €4.01

$3.91 ¥617

15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.46 ¥230

-12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.30 ¥205

59.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.60

$5.54 ¥876

-67.69%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.49

$2.12 ¥336

137.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.41

$9.76 ¥1,542

77.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.38

$6.85 ¥1,082

37.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.29

$17.65 ¥2,789

9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.83

$3.36 ¥530

-5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.95 ¥309

7.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$3.20 ¥505

-17.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$3.95 ¥623

-28.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$4.04 ¥639

-45.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.70 ¥585

-42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.37 ¥216

16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.93 ¥147

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.46

$3.99 ¥630

81.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.13

$9.36 ¥1,479

-14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.63 ¥416

-44.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$3.21 ¥508

-13.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.62

$1.50 ¥237

96.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.15

$50.5 ¥7,969

-48.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.73

$3.13 ¥495

-2.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.35

$3.12 ¥493

-51.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.38

$16.07 ¥2,539

112.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.11 ¥176

54.05%

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

$36.3K €32.3K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

67.55%

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

$30.6K €27.3K

$15.6K ¥2.5M

96.91%

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

$183 €163

$117 ¥18.5K

56.80%

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

$14.76 €13.16

$23.55 ¥3,721

-37.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.69

$31.17 ¥4,924

17.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.77

$50.8 ¥8,023

9.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.71

$6.41 ¥1,013

157.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.07

$11.45 ¥1,809

-1.31%

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

$983 €876

$524 ¥82.8K

87.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.9K

$13.0K ¥2.1M

28.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.9

$48.55 ¥7,669

89.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.78

$30.12 ¥4,758

33.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.7

$61.7 ¥9,742

75.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$89.0 ¥14.1K

37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,506

$531 ¥83.8K

218.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,179

$328 ¥51.9K

302.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,333

$1,063 ¥168.0K

146.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,715

$738 ¥116.6K

160.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,539

$3,851 ¥608.3K

90.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,682

$1,695 ¥267.7K

209.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,062

$1,884 ¥297.6K

22.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.66

90.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Hirakata: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $531 in Hirakata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 23% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Hirakata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $310 per month, with Hirakata 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 Hirakata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hirakata differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $1,198 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $531 in Hirakata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $524 in Hirakata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,198 in Hirakata versus $2,441 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hirakata but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hirakata 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 Hirakata 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 Hirakata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.