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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,183 in Hirakata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,854 in Hirakata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,526 in Hirakata.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 103% more expensive than Hirakata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Hirakata is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$6.89 ¥1,106

156.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$35.04 ¥5,621

99.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$5.96 ¥956

129.19%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.96 ¥476

-7.43%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.14 ¥182

144.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.75 ¥121

161.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.70 ¥433

61.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$3.13 ¥502

46.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.60 ¥257

-19.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.48 ¥238

38.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$4.82 ¥774

-58.92%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.42 ¥389

40.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$10.42 ¥1,672

78.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$6.59 ¥1,057

45.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.27 ¥2,449

23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.57 ¥572

-22.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.18 ¥349

13.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.61 ¥419

-19.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$4.31 ¥692

-34.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.64 ¥264

23.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.24 ¥200

49.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.31 ¥210

15.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.87 ¥140

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$3.56 ¥571

98.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$9.43 ¥1,512

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.12 ¥339

-32.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.31 ¥370

-0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.67 ¥268

72.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$56.6 ¥9,073

-49.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.57 ¥573

22.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.86 ¥459

-25.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$17.65 ¥2,832

65.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.23 ¥197

51.22%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.2K ¥3.7M

68.21%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

94.48%

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

$189 €163

$132 ¥21.2K

43.24%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$27.46 ¥4,405

-17.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$30.37 ¥4,872

20.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$55.9 ¥8,968

3.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$13.75 ¥2,205

55.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$12.71 ¥2,038

-14.95%

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

$726 €625

$69.0 ¥11.1K

952.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

43.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$43.62 ¥6,996

100.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$29.03 ¥4,657

27.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$57.2 ¥9,172

81.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$91.5 ¥14.7K

27.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$460 ¥73.8K

241.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$330 ¥53.0K

269.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$866 ¥138.9K

213.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$652 ¥104.6K

201.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$5,248 ¥841.9K

48.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$2,351 ¥377.2K

123.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,853 ¥297.3K

28.14%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Hirakata: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $460 in Hirakata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 28% 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 $35.00 in Hirakata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $290 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 103% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,183 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 28% 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 $460 in Hirakata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $69.0 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 $1,183 in Hirakata versus $2,399 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 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.