Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matsuyama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matsuyama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,169 in Matsuyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,854 in Matsuyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,540 in Matsuyama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 113% more expensive than in Matsuyama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Matsuyama is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$6.13 ¥958

200.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$26.80 ¥4,187

158.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$5.19 ¥811

172.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.84 ¥444

10.21%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.04 ¥163

190.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.71 ¥111

176.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.43 ¥379

64.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.13 ¥489

52.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.47 ¥229

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.65 ¥257

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$4.35 ¥679

-61.15%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.86 ¥291

165.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$12.74 ¥1,990

40.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$5.80 ¥907

65.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$15.74 ¥2,459

22.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$4.52 ¥706

-28.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.21 ¥345

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.13 ¥489

-14.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.79 ¥592

-26.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.30 ¥360

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.21 ¥345

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.25 ¥196

21.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.81 ¥127

13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$4.42 ¥691

61.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$7.49 ¥1,169

8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.96 ¥307

-23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.28 ¥355

21.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.50 ¥234

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$55.3 ¥8,646

-51.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.55 ¥555

-8.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.76 ¥431

-45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$15.94 ¥2,490

118.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.22 ¥190

43.44%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.3K ¥3.0M

90.25%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$16.1K ¥2.5M

91.68%

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

$188 €161

$131 ¥20.5K

42.95%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$26.21 ¥4,095

-41.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$30.89 ¥4,826

22.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$44.74 ¥6,989

27.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$11.83 ¥1,847

-2.11%

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

$1,003 €863

$498 ¥77.8K

101.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

49.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$52.4 ¥8,178

70.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$27.39 ¥4,278

49.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$52.6 ¥8,212

109.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$95.1 ¥14.8K

29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$476 ¥74.4K

251.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$313 ¥49.0K

324.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,160 ¥181.2K

123.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$640 ¥100.0K

204.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$3,948 ¥616.8K

91.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,963 ¥306.6K

173.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.06

53.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Matsuyama: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $476 in Matsuyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Matsuyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $293 per month, with Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Matsuyama differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,169 including rent). Matsuyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,753 in Matsuyama 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $476 in Matsuyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $498 in Matsuyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,169 in Matsuyama versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matsuyama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.