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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,219 in Hirakata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,909 in Hirakata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,599 in Hirakata.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 92% more expensive than Hirakata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Hirakata is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$7.09 ¥1,135

148.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$34.39 ¥5,505

99.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.91 ¥945

132.66%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.07 ¥492

-10.10%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.08 ¥173

157.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.77 ¥123

166.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.83 ¥453

62.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.05 ¥489

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.60 ¥256

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.50 ¥240

40.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$4.68 ¥750

-57.91%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.33 ¥373

47.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$10.51 ¥1,683

79.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.49 ¥1,039

45.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$15.42 ¥2,469

23.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.56 ¥571

-23.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.09 ¥335

13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.47 ¥395

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.39 ¥703

-37.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.63 ¥261

20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.26 ¥201

42.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.31 ¥210

15.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.82 ¥132

9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.39 ¥543

99.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$9.58 ¥1,533

-21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.06 ¥330

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.39 ¥383

0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.59 ¥254

90.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$55.0 ¥8,806

-48.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.44 ¥551

28.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.98 ¥476

-31.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$17.34 ¥2,776

69.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.23 ¥197

53.66%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

69.47%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

92.53%

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

$189 €161

$130 ¥20.9K

44.74%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$27.61 ¥4,420

-19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$30.90 ¥4,946

19.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$55.2 ¥8,833

5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$13.69 ¥2,191

53.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$12.72 ¥2,036

-13.13%

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

$726 €622

$68.1 ¥10.9K

967.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$10.4K ¥1.7M

46.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$44.92 ¥7,192

96.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$29.66 ¥4,748

24.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$56.8 ¥9,100

80.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$92.9 ¥14.9K

28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$477 ¥76.4K

219.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$331 ¥53.0K

268.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$850 ¥136.1K

228.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$658 ¥105.3K

208.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$4,534 ¥725.8K

56.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,907 ¥305.3K

26.07%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hirakata: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $477 in Hirakata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 26% 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 $34.00 in Hirakata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $288 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 92% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,219 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 26% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $477 in Hirakata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $68.1 in Hirakata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,219 in Hirakata versus $2,341 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 92% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.