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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,278 in Kitakyushu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,974 in Kitakyushu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,669 in Kitakyushu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 85% more expensive than in Kitakyushu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kitakyushu is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.34 ¥1,157

133.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$41.29 ¥6,506

64.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.94 ¥779

176.11%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.20 ¥504

-13.13%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.09 ¥172

158.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.75 ¥118

161.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.63 ¥414

68.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.05 ¥480

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.55 ¥244

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.64 ¥259

29.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.29 ¥676

-53.61%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.55 ¥401

32.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$10.23 ¥1,612

85.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.28 ¥989

51.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$20.94 ¥3,300

-10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.21 ¥506

-17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.36 ¥214

72.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.41 ¥223

48.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.29 ¥519

-17.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.71 ¥427

-27.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$3.17 ¥499

-42.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.92 ¥145

64.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.75 ¥119

18.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.84 ¥605

76.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.21 ¥979

27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.95 ¥307

-29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.10 ¥331

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.65 ¥259

76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$55.3 ¥8,718

-48.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$4.55 ¥717

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.92 ¥460

-30.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$19.38 ¥3,054

48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.23 ¥193

47.97%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

72.56%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$20.0K ¥3.2M

62.02%

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

$187 €162

$216 ¥34.0K

-13.51%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$27.59 ¥4,348

-19.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$35.33 ¥5,566

2.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$56.0 ¥8,829

2.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$13.63 ¥2,148

52.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$13.98 ¥2,203

-22.96%

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

$725 €628

$408 ¥64.2K

77.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

12.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$42.79 ¥6,742

105.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$29.20 ¥4,600

26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$65.2 ¥10.3K

58.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$60.5 ¥9,524

96.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$467 ¥73.6K

226.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$334 ¥52.7K

266.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$867 ¥136.6K

214.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$663 ¥104.5K

199.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,260 ¥671.3K

75.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,070 ¥326.1K

153.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,463 ¥230.5K

63.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.67

102.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $467 in Kitakyushu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 64% 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 $41.00 in Kitakyushu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 85% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,278 including rent). Kitakyushu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $467 in Kitakyushu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $408 in Kitakyushu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Kitakyushu versus $2,359 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 85% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.