Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kurume Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kurume

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $964 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,547 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,129 in Kurume.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 157% more expensive than in Kurume, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Kurume is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$4.56 ¥712

310.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$43.27 ¥6,757

60.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$3.83 ¥598

259.53%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.92 ¥300

61.46%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.69 ¥108

310.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.55 ¥86.6

241.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.22 ¥503

23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.59 ¥248

184.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.32 ¥206

-3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.32 ¥206

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$5.17 ¥807

-65.96%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.92 ¥300

167.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$18.70 ¥2,921

-4.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.49 ¥857

75.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$19.49 ¥3,043

3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.81 ¥595

-14.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.87 ¥292

19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.97 ¥464

-12.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.48 ¥543

-20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.28 ¥356

-3.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.67 ¥417

-20.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.10 ¥172

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.96 ¥149

-1.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.63 ¥567

102.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.62 ¥1,033

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.77 ¥276

-12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.17 ¥182

138.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.52 ¥238

104.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$52.3 ¥8,165

-50.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.10 ¥641

-20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.15 ¥335

-31.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$17.95 ¥2,803

90.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.61 ¥95.7

183.61%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.7K ¥3.5M

60.36%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.0K ¥2.8M

69.61%

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

$187 €163

$195 ¥30.5K

-4.08%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$25.72 ¥4,017

-41.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$22.92 ¥3,579

64.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$53.9 ¥8,415

3.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$6.95 ¥1,085

64.17%

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

$997 €868

$128 ¥20.0K

677.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$12.8K ¥2.0M

29.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$38.47 ¥6,008

140.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$12.58 ¥1,965

227.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$25.74 ¥4,020

332.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$32.70 ¥5,107

282.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$522 ¥81.5K

227.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$128 ¥20.0K

903.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$477 ¥74.4K

438.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$322 ¥50.3K

502.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$3,786 ¥591.3K

101.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,753 ¥273.8K

194.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,573 ¥245.7K

49.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.85

70.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kurume: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $522 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 49% 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 $43.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $309 per month, with Kurume 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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kurume differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $964 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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 $522 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $128 in Kurume. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $964 in Kurume versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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 Kurume 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 Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.