Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kamakura Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kamakura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,294 in Kamakura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,992 in Kamakura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,690 in Kamakura.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 83% more expensive than Kamakura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kamakura is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$7.05 ¥1,127

149.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$35.17 ¥5,625

94.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.67 ¥907

147.97%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.13 ¥501

-11.18%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.21 ¥194

131.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.76 ¥121

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.07 ¥331

115.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.19 ¥509

44.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.52 ¥244

-18.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.75 ¥281

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$5.02 ¥803

-61.75%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.27 ¥364

45.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.81 ¥2,209

33.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.87 ¥1,099

38.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$17.62 ¥2,818

8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.91 ¥946

-55.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.89 ¥462

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$4.09 ¥654

-48.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.09 ¥974

-53.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.27 ¥523

-37.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.57 ¥411

-28.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.39 ¥222

5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.06 ¥169

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.41 ¥545

109.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.27 ¥1,483

-14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.84 ¥294

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.39 ¥383

-3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.61 ¥258

85.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$55.3 ¥8,849

-47.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.49 ¥559

31.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.98 ¥477

-30.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$17.59 ¥2,814

65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.23 ¥197

49.59%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

65.38%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

93.36%

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

$188 €162

$143 ¥22.9K

31.35%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$26.75 ¥4,278

-14.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$33.96 ¥5,432

8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$55.4 ¥8,853

3.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.04 ¥2,245

47.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.51 ¥2,001

-10.55%

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

$721 €621

$287 ¥45.8K

151.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

33.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$42.28 ¥6,763

103.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$29.29 ¥4,685

26.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$56.6 ¥9,046

80.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$93.6 ¥15.0K

23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$476 ¥76.2K

222.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$326 ¥52.2K

274.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$864 ¥138.2K

211.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$656 ¥104.9K

206.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,481 ¥716.7K

61.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,206 ¥352.9K

135.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,760 ¥281.5K

34.05%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kamakura: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $476 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 34% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Kamakura. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $350, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kamakura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kamakura differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,294 including rent). Kamakura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 34% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $476 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $287 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,294 in Kamakura versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kamakura but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kamakura 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 Kamakura 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 Kamakura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.