Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hiroshima Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hiroshima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $987 in Hiroshima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,587 in Hiroshima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,186 in Hiroshima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 151% more expensive than in Hiroshima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Hiroshima is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.23 ¥971

200.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$32.95 ¥5,141

110.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.19 ¥809

165.32%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.85 ¥445

8.77%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.05 ¥163

169.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.65 ¥101

189.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.81 ¥438

41.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.95 ¥616

14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.55 ¥241

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.56 ¥244

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.81 ¥750

-63.41%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.07 ¥323

147.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$5.22 ¥814

242.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.03 ¥941

60.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.31 ¥1,764

78.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.36 ¥524

-3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.03 ¥316

9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.81 ¥594

-31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.97 ¥619

-30.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.60 ¥249

38.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.65 ¥569

-41.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.39 ¥217

11.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.85 ¥132

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.11 ¥641

78.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.96 ¥1,242

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.91 ¥299

-19.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.43 ¥380

14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.99 ¥311

56.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$33.94 ¥5,296

-23.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.90 ¥609

-16.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.27 ¥198

16.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$21.72 ¥3,389

57.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.14 ¥178

51.75%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.3K ¥3.5M

62.98%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

98.81%

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

$187 €163

$141 ¥22.1K

32.24%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$24.54 ¥3,829

-38.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$31.22 ¥4,870

20.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$53.8 ¥8,390

4.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$4.82 ¥752

254.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$12.14 ¥1,894

-6.01%

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

$997 €869

$159 ¥24.9K

525.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,499 ¥545.9K

372.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$28.97 ¥4,520

219.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$25.48 ¥3,976

61.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$50.4 ¥7,855

120.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$65.4 ¥10.2K

91.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$249 ¥38.9K

585.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$197 ¥30.7K

553.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$649 ¥101.2K

295.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$511 ¥79.8K

279.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,172 ¥494.9K

141.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,449 ¥226.1K

256.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,005 ¥312.9K

17.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.21

42.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $249 in Hiroshima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 17% 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 $33.00 in Hiroshima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $261 per month, with Hiroshima 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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hiroshima differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $987 including rent). Hiroshima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $249 in Hiroshima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $159 in Hiroshima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $987 in Hiroshima versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hiroshima but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hiroshima 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 Hiroshima 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 Hiroshima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.