Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kagoshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,135 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Kagoshima, Japan
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Kagoshima
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,135
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Kagoshima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Kagoshima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,135 in Kagoshima.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Kagoshima $1,135

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,887 in Kagoshima.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Kagoshima $1,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,639 in Kagoshima.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Kagoshima $2,639

Living in Barcelona is roughly 116% more expensive than in Kagoshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Kagoshima is 17% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.69
$6.39 ¥1,008
175.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.2
$33.97 ¥5,364
98.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.07
$5.34 ¥844
153.37%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.85
$2.97 ¥469
7.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$1.04 ¥165
179.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$0.75 ¥118
152.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.58
$2.50 ¥395
60.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.04
$2.21 ¥349
104.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.16
$1.31 ¥208
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.15 ¥182
75.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$5.15 ¥813
-64.08%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.31
$2.05 ¥325
135.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.93
$17.94 ¥2,834
-6.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.14
$5.29 ¥836
72.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.52
$18.77 ¥2,965
4.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$3.71 ¥586
-19.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.86 ¥294
8.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.41
$2.83 ¥447
-4.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$3.43 ¥542
-18.37%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.09 ¥329
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.88 ¥297
10.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.03 ¥163
41.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.80 ¥126
17.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.13
$3.85 ¥608
78.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.04
$6.20 ¥979
27.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.21 ¥191
16.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.26
$1.84 ¥291
38.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.80
$1.25 ¥197
151.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.70
$56.7 ¥8,950
-55.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.67
$4.12 ¥650
-27.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$2.34 ¥370
-36.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.78
$11.30 ¥1,784
195.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.11 ¥175
62.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$22.6K ¥3.6M
46.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.3K
$15.3K ¥2.4M
107.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €161
$188 ¥29.6K
-3.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.35
$24.69 ¥3,900
-43.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.06
$31.51 ¥4,976
6.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.96
$52.1 ¥8,229
-1.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.24
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.81
$11.96 ¥1,889
-8.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €818
$703 ¥111.1K
30.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
$12.4K ¥2.0M
33.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.7
$48.66 ¥7,685
78.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.35
$26.33 ¥4,158
46.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.4
$65.4 ¥10.3K
61.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$76.3 ¥12.1K
56.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,516
$550 ¥86.8K
209.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,209
$219 ¥34.5K
519.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,322
$957 ¥151.2K
171.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,840
$730 ¥115.3K
182.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,169
$4,461 ¥704.5K
55.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,575
$2,528 ¥399.3K
102.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Kagoshima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,972
$1,861 ¥293.9K
18.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
1.97
66.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kagoshima: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Kagoshima
$219 83.9% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Kagoshima
$294 8.6% $28
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Kagoshima
$127 52.6% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Kagoshima
$244 7% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Kagoshima
$98 38.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Kagoshima
$76 3.4% $2.5
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Kagoshima
$77 59.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $550 in Kagoshima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 19% 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 in Barcelona vs $34 in Kagoshima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $294 per month, with Kagoshima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇯🇵 Kagoshima
🕒 Local time
16:56 4:56 PM
00:56 12:56 AM
8 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
593,128
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Kagoshima 10,330 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Kagoshima

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kagoshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Kagoshima?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,135 in Kagoshima, so Kagoshima is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Kagoshima?
Average pay runs 19% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Kagoshima?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $550 in Kagoshima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Kagoshima?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $703 in Kagoshima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kagoshima is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Kagoshima?
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.
Is Barcelona or Kagoshima safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Kagoshima are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Kagoshima?
It comes down to priorities – Kagoshima wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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