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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,170 in Kanazawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,850 in Kanazawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,531 in Kanazawa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 113% more expensive than in Kanazawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Kanazawa is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$5.15 ¥804

257.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$31.28 ¥4,886

121.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$4.89 ¥764

188.96%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.97 ¥463

5.39%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.42 ¥222

112.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.74 ¥115

164.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.65 ¥413

50.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.72 ¥580

27.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.44 ¥225

-13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.29 ¥202

67.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$5.17 ¥807

-67.31%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.10 ¥329

134.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$9.34 ¥1,459

91.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$9.39 ¥1,467

2.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$18.24 ¥2,850

6.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.26 ¥509

-0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.99 ¥310

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.00 ¥313

33.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.93 ¥614

-29.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.47 ¥230

50.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.12 ¥174

95.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.30 ¥204

16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.76 ¥119

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.94 ¥616

80.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$9.53 ¥1,489

-14.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.92 ¥300

-21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.22 ¥503

-13.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.51 ¥235

108.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$54.9 ¥8,577

-50.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.77 ¥590

-13.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.09 ¥483

-51.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$21.18 ¥3,309

64.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.08 ¥168

62.04%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

68.89%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

109.20%

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

$188 €161

$136 ¥21.3K

37.54%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$24.23 ¥3,786

-36.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$30.87 ¥4,822

22.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$42.52 ¥6,643

34.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$11.45 ¥1,789

1.14%

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

$1,003 €863

$507 ¥79.2K

97.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$13.1K ¥2.0M

30.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$43.28 ¥6,762

106.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$30.70 ¥4,796

33.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$72.3 ¥11.3K

52.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$89.3 ¥14.0K

37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$401 ¥62.6K

317.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$332 ¥51.9K

300.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,019 ¥159.2K

154.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$638 ¥99.7K

205.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,731 ¥582.8K

103.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,887 ¥294.7K

184.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,867 ¥291.7K

28.65%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $401 in Kanazawa. 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 $31.00 in Kanazawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $298 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 113% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,170 including rent). Kanazawa 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $401 in Kanazawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $507 in Kanazawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,170 in Kanazawa versus $2,495 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 113% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.