Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kashiwa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kashiwa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $1,248 in Kashiwa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $1,845 in Kashiwa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $2,443 in Kashiwa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 96% more expensive than in Kashiwa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Kashiwa is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$6.19 ¥976

196.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$24.94 ¥3,936

168.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$5.17 ¥815

165.96%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$3.35 ¥528

-5.37%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$0.76 ¥120

278.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.74 ¥117

163.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$2.58 ¥407

50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$3.25 ¥513

38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.24 ¥196

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.09 ¥173

89.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$3.68 ¥582

-51.36%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$1.89 ¥298

166.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$6.21 ¥981

178.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$6.00 ¥947

56.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$9.46 ¥1,493

105.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$5.77 ¥911

-44.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.73 ¥430

-23.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.82 ¥446

-6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$4.19 ¥661

-32.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.54 ¥401

-13.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.64 ¥417

-18.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$0.61 ¥96.0

160.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.62 ¥98.1

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$3.75 ¥592

93.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$6.48 ¥1,023

23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.79 ¥283

-17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.90 ¥299

45.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$1.53 ¥241

92.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

$49.84 ¥7,866

-47.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$3.27 ¥516

-6.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.56 ¥247

-3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$20.56 ¥3,245

65.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.05 ¥166

62.86%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$21.9K ¥3.5M

65.50%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

65.99%

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

$183 €163

$129 ¥20.4K

41.88%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$24.66 ¥3,892

-40.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$32.09 ¥5,065

14.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$58.5 ¥9,234

-4.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$12.77 ¥2,015

-11.51%

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

$983 €873

$645 ¥101.8K

52.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

13.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$63.2 ¥9,970

45.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$32.77 ¥5,173

22.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$62.4 ¥9,841

73.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$102 ¥16.2K

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$531 ¥83.8K

218.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$402 ¥63.4K

229.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$1,066 ¥168.3K

145.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$736 ¥116.1K

161.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

$4,312 ¥680.6K

70.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

$1,844 ¥291.1K

184.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

$2,716 ¥428.7K

-14.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.12

49.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $531 in Kashiwa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kashiwa pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Kashiwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $249 per month, with Kashiwa 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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kashiwa differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $1,248 including rent). Kashiwa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Kashiwa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $531 in Kashiwa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $645 in Kashiwa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,248 in Kashiwa versus $2,441 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kashiwa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kashiwa 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 Kashiwa 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 Kashiwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.