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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,290 in Kitakyushu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,998 in Kitakyushu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,706 in Kitakyushu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 81% more expensive than Kitakyushu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Kitakyushu is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$7.35 ¥1,175

132.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$42.01 ¥6,719

64.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.93 ¥788

179.51%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.02 ¥483

-8.61%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.09 ¥174

155.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.77 ¥124

158.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.62 ¥419

66.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.21 ¥513

47.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.56 ¥250

-17.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.66 ¥266

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.05 ¥648

-50.86%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.54 ¥407

33.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.11 ¥1,617

86.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.22 ¥995

50.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$20.46 ¥3,273

-6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.18 ¥508

-15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.36 ¥218

72.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.37 ¥219

54.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.12 ¥500

-8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.83 ¥453

-30.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$3.12 ¥498

-42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.92 ¥147

57.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.79 ¥127

8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.99 ¥638

69.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.19 ¥990

27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.95 ¥312

-28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.13 ¥341

11.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.65 ¥263

76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$55.6 ¥8,888

-48.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.67 ¥748

-4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.92 ¥467

-29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$19.35 ¥3,095

52.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.18 ¥189

54.24%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

68.19%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$19.8K ¥3.2M

67.32%

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

$189 €163

$217 ¥34.7K

-12.77%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$26.66 ¥4,263

-14.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$35.62 ¥5,697

5.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$56.4 ¥9,022

2.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$13.65 ¥2,183

51.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$14.11 ¥2,256

-23.32%

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

$728 €628

$418 ¥66.8K

74.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

11.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$43.39 ¥6,939

104.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$28.98 ¥4,635

27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$64.9 ¥10.4K

57.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$59.5 ¥9,512

95.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$463 ¥74.1K

238.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$328 ¥52.5K

271.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$856 ¥136.9K

226.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$662 ¥105.9K

198.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,507 ¥720.9K

72.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,376 ¥380.0K

117.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,503 ¥240.3K

55.96%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $463 in Kitakyushu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 56% 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 $42.00 in Kitakyushu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $281 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 81% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,290 including rent). Kitakyushu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 56% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $463 in Kitakyushu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $418 in Kitakyushu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,290 in Kitakyushu versus $2,337 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 81% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.