Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maebashi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maebashi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,285 in Maebashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,976 in Maebashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,668 in Maebashi.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.93 ¥802

258.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$35.06 ¥5,696

98.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.91 ¥960

139.59%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.03 ¥492

-7.59%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.86 ¥140

226.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.68 ¥110

202.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.50 ¥406

84.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.15 ¥512

48.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.40 ¥228

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.74 ¥283

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.48 ¥240

33.78%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.77 ¥288

97.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$17.37 ¥2,822

5.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.97 ¥808

97.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.43 ¥2,506

23.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$8.80 ¥1,430

-68.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.79 ¥453

-14.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.98 ¥809

-58.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$9.46 ¥1,538

-70.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.89 ¥631

-49.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.58 ¥419

-30.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.33 ¥217

11.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.53 ¥86.6

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.40 ¥552

109.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.08 ¥1,475

-13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.85 ¥464

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.35 ¥382

1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.58 ¥257

90.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$56.2 ¥9,137

-47.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.50 ¥568

24.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.91 ¥474

-26.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$34.94 ¥5,676

-15.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.17 ¥190

55.56%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$23.1K ¥3.8M

63.83%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

93.99%

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

$189 €166

$140 ¥22.8K

34.72%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.61 ¥4,487

-19.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$33.58 ¥5,455

10.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$55.7 ¥9,041

4.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.13 ¥2,296

46.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$12.71 ¥2,065

-14.48%

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

$706 €618

$469 ¥76.2K

50.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

33.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$45.84 ¥7,448

95.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$32.23 ¥5,236

13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$56.0 ¥9,093

85.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$92.9 ¥15.1K

28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$460 ¥74.8K

242.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$331 ¥53.7K

274.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$849 ¥138.0K

219.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$669 ¥108.7K

204.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,976 ¥645.9K

89.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,350 ¥381.9K

122.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,638 ¥266.1K

44.31%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maebashi: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $460 in Maebashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 44% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Maebashi. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $361, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Maebashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Maebashi differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,285 including rent). Maebashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $460 in Maebashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $469 in Maebashi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,285 in Maebashi versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maebashi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maebashi 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 Maebashi 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 Maebashi 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.