Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matsudo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matsudo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,146 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,863 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,580 in Matsudo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 102% more expensive than in Matsudo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Matsudo is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$7.13 ¥1,159

147.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$34.59 ¥5,621

101.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.31 ¥863

166.67%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.15 ¥512

-11.11%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.13 ¥183

148.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.80 ¥131

157.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.04 ¥331

125.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.03 ¥331

131.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.55 ¥252

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.69 ¥275

20.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$5.05 ¥820

-60.79%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.58 ¥256

120.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.15 ¥1,649

80.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.41 ¥1,042

53.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.24 ¥2,477

25.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.99 ¥973

-54.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.17 ¥514

-24.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.97 ¥646

-47.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.61 ¥749

-40.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.32 ¥540

-40.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$3.57 ¥580

-49.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.34 ¥218

10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.83 ¥134

9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.28 ¥696

66.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.46 ¥1,537

-16.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.76 ¥286

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.10 ¥342

13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.61 ¥261

86.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$55.8 ¥9,062

-47.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.52 ¥573

23.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.99 ¥485

-28.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$21.75 ¥3,534

36.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.14 ¥185

59.65%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

63.41%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$18.5K ¥3.0M

75.00%

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

$189 €166

$82.0 ¥13.3K

130.47%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.63 ¥4,490

-19.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$17.47 ¥2,838

112.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$55.1 ¥8,945

5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.93 ¥2,264

48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.29 ¥1,834

-3.72%

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

$706 €618

$277 ¥45.0K

154.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

7.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$41.38 ¥6,723

116.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.57 ¥4,804

23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$60.6 ¥9,838

71.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$97.7 ¥15.9K

22.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$476 ¥77.4K

231.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$332 ¥53.9K

272.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$857 ¥139.3K

216.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$659 ¥107.1K

209.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,109 ¥667.6K

83.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,141 ¥347.9K

144.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,974 ¥320.7K

19.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.05

65.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $476 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 20% 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 Matsudo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $319 per month, with Matsudo 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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Matsudo differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,146 including rent). Matsudo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $476 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $277 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,146 in Matsudo versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo 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 Matsudo 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 Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.