Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Koriyama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Koriyama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,249 in Koriyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,928 in Koriyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,606 in Koriyama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 90% more expensive than Koriyama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Koriyama is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$6.87 ¥1,102

155.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$34.91 ¥5,595

96.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$5.35 ¥857

162.80%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.03 ¥486

-8.25%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.07 ¥172

161.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.75 ¥121

174.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$2.58 ¥414

72.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$3.10 ¥497

48.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.60 ¥256

-22.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.58 ¥253

28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$4.74 ¥759

-59.49%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.21 ¥354

49.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$10.03 ¥1,609

83.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$6.25 ¥1,002

51.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$15.41 ¥2,470

24.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$5.42 ¥869

-51.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.54 ¥408

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$4.11 ¥659

-48.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$5.71 ¥916

-50.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.16 ¥507

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.64 ¥424

-29.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.38 ¥221

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.83 ¥133

1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$4.23 ¥679

68.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$7.33 ¥1,175

7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.85 ¥296

-25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.25 ¥361

2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$1.60 ¥257

86.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$55.7 ¥8,933

-47.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$3.42 ¥548

34.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.98 ¥478

-30.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$20.68 ¥3,315

41.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.18 ¥189

55.93%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

66.07%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$17.4K ¥2.8M

87.69%

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

$188 €163

$144 ¥23.1K

30.42%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$26.95 ¥4,319

-14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$34.34 ¥5,505

6.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$55.3 ¥8,865

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$14.04 ¥2,250

47.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$12.63 ¥2,025

-11.40%

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

$721 €625

$277 ¥44.5K

159.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

10.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$43.85 ¥7,029

96.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$29.35 ¥4,705

26.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$60.2 ¥9,648

69.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$93.1 ¥14.9K

24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$477 ¥76.4K

221.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$333 ¥53.4K

266.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$857 ¥137.4K

214.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$653 ¥104.7K

208.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$5,244 ¥840.6K

37.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$2,162 ¥346.6K

140.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.78

90.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Koriyama: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $477 in Koriyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Koriyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $313 per month, with Koriyama 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 Koriyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Koriyama differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,249 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,873 in Koriyama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $477 in Koriyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $277 in Koriyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,249 in Koriyama versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koriyama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Koriyama 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 Koriyama 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 Koriyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.