Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kanazawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kanazawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,196 in Kanazawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,871 in Kanazawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,547 in Kanazawa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 98% more expensive than Kanazawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kanazawa is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$5.69 ¥910

208.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$35.23 ¥5,634

94.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.82 ¥772

191.70%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.32 ¥532

-16.27%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.09 ¥174

156.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.72 ¥115

186.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.80 ¥447

59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.40 ¥705

4.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.61 ¥257

-22.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.50 ¥239

35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.69 ¥749

-59.06%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.44 ¥390

35.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.62 ¥1,699

73.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.33 ¥1,012

49.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$19.04 ¥3,045

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.64 ¥582

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.19 ¥351

11.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.58 ¥412

-17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.45 ¥711

-35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.66 ¥265

22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.24 ¥198

49.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.39 ¥222

5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.89 ¥142

-5.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.84 ¥614

85.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.13 ¥1,461

-13.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.07 ¥331

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.00 ¥480

-23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.61 ¥258

85.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$54.8 ¥8,767

-46.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.54 ¥725

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.36 ¥537

-38.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$23.66 ¥3,785

23.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.18 ¥188

55.93%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

66.24%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

92.82%

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

$188 €162

$130 ¥20.8K

44.16%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$27.51 ¥4,400

-16.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$30.22 ¥4,833

21.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$48.01 ¥7,680

19.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.76 ¥2,201

50.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.65 ¥2,023

-11.54%

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

$721 €621

$70.4 ¥11.3K

923.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$10.4K ¥1.7M

44.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$43.98 ¥7,034

96.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$29.19 ¥4,669

27.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$66.6 ¥10.7K

53.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$94.4 ¥15.1K

22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$476 ¥76.1K

222.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$332 ¥53.1K

267.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$867 ¥138.6K

211.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$658 ¥105.2K

205.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,365 ¥698.2K

65.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,655 ¥424.7K

95.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,846 ¥295.2K

27.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.81

87.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $476 in Kanazawa. 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Kanazawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $302 per month, with Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kanazawa differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,196 including rent). Kanazawa 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $476 in Kanazawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $70.4 in Kanazawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,196 in Kanazawa versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kanazawa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.