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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,200 in Kanazawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,870 in Kanazawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,541 in Kanazawa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 93% more expensive than in Kanazawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Kanazawa is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.07

$5.52 ¥901

211.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$34.28 ¥5,594

106.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$4.95 ¥808

183.23%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$3.30 ¥538

-15.76%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.12 ¥183

148.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.73 ¥119

180.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$2.85 ¥465

58.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$4.41 ¥720

5.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.54 ¥252

-16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.42 ¥232

50.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$4.83 ¥788

-60.04%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$2.33 ¥381

49.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.24

$10.46 ¥1,706

77.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$6.48 ¥1,057

47.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.57

$19.26 ¥3,143

-1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$3.50 ¥571

-25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$2.19 ¥357

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.59 ¥423

-19.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$4.51 ¥736

-36.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.70 ¥277

15.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.31 ¥213

41.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.39 ¥227

10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.84 ¥138

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$3.93 ¥641

72.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$9.01 ¥1,471

-13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.13 ¥347

-35.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.91 ¥474

-20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$1.67 ¥273

79.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.10

$55.8 ¥9,111

-48.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$4.44 ¥725

3.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.40 ¥555

-37.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.91

$23.40 ¥3,818

26.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.19 ¥195

51.26%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

69.01%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

97.82%

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

$185 €162

$133 ¥21.7K

38.90%

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

$22.68 €19.89

$26.97 ¥4,401

-15.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.25

$30.22 ¥4,931

21.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$47.22 ¥7,705

22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.58

$13.77 ¥2,247

53.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$12.42 ¥2,026

-12.80%

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

$727 €637

$68.8 ¥11.2K

955.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$10.6K ¥1.7M

39.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$44.06 ¥7,190

98.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.76

$28.72 ¥4,686

30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$68.8 ¥11.2K

50.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$97.1 ¥15.9K

22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,368

$464 ¥75.6K

236.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$333 ¥54.4K

266.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,404

$883 ¥144.1K

210.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,746

$669 ¥109.2K

197.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,567

$4,193 ¥684.2K

78.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,566

$2,352 ¥383.9K

121.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,064

$1,855 ¥302.6K

26.96%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $464 in Kanazawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 27% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Kanazawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $301 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 93% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,200 including rent). Kanazawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $464 in Kanazawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $68.8 in Kanazawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,200 in Kanazawa versus $2,316 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 93% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.