Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kitakyushu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kitakyushu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,233 in Kitakyushu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,926 in Kitakyushu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,620 in Kitakyushu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 101% more expensive than in Kitakyushu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Kitakyushu is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$7.22 ¥1,128

159.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$33.59 ¥5,246

106.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.55 ¥867

148.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.37 ¥526

-8.01%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.04 ¥162

172.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.70 ¥109

168.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.97 ¥463

34.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.26 ¥352

100.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.53 ¥239

-16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.31 ¥204

64.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$5.55 ¥867

-68.29%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.26 ¥354

126.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$9.98 ¥1,559

79.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.49 ¥857

75.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$19.18 ¥2,996

5.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.71 ¥579

-12.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.85 ¥289

20.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.88 ¥450

-9.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.97 ¥464

-7.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.26 ¥354

-2.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.60 ¥406

-18.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.09 ¥171

42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.94 ¥147

1.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.04 ¥631

81.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.40 ¥1,000

25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.78 ¥278

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.76 ¥276

58.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.64 ¥257

89.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$58.2 ¥9,094

-55.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.93 ¥614

-16.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.06 ¥322

-28.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$18.42 ¥2,876

86.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.06 ¥165

63.21%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

70.82%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

73.13%

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

$187 €163

$195 ¥30.5K

-4.15%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$25.26 ¥3,944

-40.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$33.60 ¥5,248

12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$52.3 ¥8,171

6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$3.15 ¥493

442.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$11.52 ¥1,798

-0.95%

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

$997 €868

$389 ¥60.8K

155.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$12.4K ¥1.9M

33.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$39.38 ¥6,151

135.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$24.50 ¥3,826

68.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$60.7 ¥9,473

83.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$48.25 ¥7,535

159.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$520 ¥81.2K

228.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$331 ¥51.7K

288.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,049 ¥163.9K

144.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$739 ¥115.4K

162.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$3,702 ¥578.1K

106.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,776 ¥277.3K

190.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,527 ¥238.4K

53.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.69

86.98%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $520 in Kitakyushu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 54% 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 $34.00 in Kitakyushu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $284 per month, with Kitakyushu 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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kitakyushu differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,233 including rent). Kitakyushu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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 $520 in Kitakyushu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $389 in Kitakyushu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,233 in Kitakyushu versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kitakyushu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kitakyushu 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 Kitakyushu 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 Kitakyushu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.