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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,187 in Matsudo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,947 in Matsudo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,707 in Matsudo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 109% more expensive than in Matsudo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Matsudo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$6.40 ¥1,000

192.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$38.62 ¥6,031

79.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.14 ¥803

167.90%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.62 ¥566

-14.36%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.09 ¥170

159.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.81 ¥127

132.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.65 ¥413

50.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.27 ¥511

38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.48 ¥231

-14.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.69 ¥265

27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.67 ¥573

-52.04%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.12 ¥331

141.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$11.01 ¥1,720

62.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.39 ¥998

51.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$15.00 ¥2,343

34.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$5.15 ¥804

-36.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.43 ¥380

-8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.88 ¥449

-9.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.26 ¥665

-35.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.62 ¥410

-15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.66 ¥415

-20.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.26 ¥197

23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.82 ¥128

15.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.84 ¥599

91.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.40 ¥1,000

25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.81 ¥282

-14.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.09 ¥327

33.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.56 ¥244

99.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$58.8 ¥9,186

-56.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.30 ¥515

-0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.66 ¥415

-44.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$19.38 ¥3,026

76.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.09 ¥170

58.72%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

67.35%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

97.30%

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

$187 €163

$134 ¥20.9K

39.88%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$22.46 ¥3,508

-32.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$31.04 ¥4,847

21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$47.29 ¥7,386

18.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$13.18 ¥2,058

-13.43%

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

$997 €868

$639 ¥99.8K

55.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

8.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$54.5 ¥8,513

69.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$32.57 ¥5,087

26.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$63.2 ¥9,863

76.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$72.1 ¥11.3K

73.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$456 ¥71.2K

274.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$318 ¥49.7K

304.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$906 ¥141.5K

183.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$751 ¥117.3K

158.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$4,048 ¥632.1K

88.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,866 ¥291.4K

176.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.94

62.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $456 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in Matsudo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $292 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 109% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,187 including rent). Matsudo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,781 in Matsudo 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $456 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $639 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,187 in Matsudo versus $2,476 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 109% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.