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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,181 in Kamakura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,910 in Kamakura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,640 in Kamakura.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than in Kamakura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Kamakura is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$6.39 ¥999

193.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$31.84 ¥4,973

118.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.14 ¥802

167.90%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.44 ¥382

27.05%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.12 ¥174

152.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.80 ¥125

135.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.55 ¥398

56.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.20 ¥500

41.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.42 ¥222

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.55 ¥241

39.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.70 ¥577

-52.43%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.13 ¥333

140.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$12.18 ¥1,902

46.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.11 ¥954

57.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$14.89 ¥2,326

35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$5.73 ¥895

-43.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.81 ¥439

-20.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.00 ¥468

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.40 ¥688

-37.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.71 ¥423

-18.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.60 ¥406

-18.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.21 ¥189

28.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.79 ¥123

20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.99 ¥623

83.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.65 ¥1,038

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.86 ¥290

-17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.09 ¥326

33.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.54 ¥240

101.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$63.9 ¥9,982

-59.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.18 ¥496

2.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.54 ¥397

-41.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$16.36 ¥2,556

109.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.08 ¥168

60.19%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

65.00%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.6K ¥2.4M

95.27%

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

$187 €163

$117 ¥18.2K

60.13%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$23.87 ¥3,727

-36.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$31.42 ¥4,907

19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$52.6 ¥8,207

6.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$12.86 ¥2,009

-11.28%

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

$997 €868

$587 ¥91.7K

69.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

9.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$50.6 ¥7,908

82.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$33.76 ¥5,272

22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$62.7 ¥9,789

77.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$101 ¥15.8K

23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$527 ¥82.4K

223.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$326 ¥51.0K

293.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$883 ¥137.8K

190.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$683 ¥106.6K

184.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$3,327 ¥519.6K

129.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,549 ¥241.9K

233.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,826 ¥285.2K

28.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.66

90.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kamakura: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $527 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 29% 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 $32.00 in Kamakura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $299 per month, with Kamakura 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 Kamakura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kamakura differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,181 including rent). Kamakura is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $527 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $587 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,181 in Kamakura versus $2,476 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 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.