Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nishinomiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nishinomiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,237 in Nishinomiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,938 in Nishinomiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,640 in Nishinomiya.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Nishinomiya is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$8.54 ¥1,333

115.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$31.27 ¥4,885

121.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$4.90 ¥766

188.37%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.42 ¥377

29.34%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.22 ¥191

147.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.72 ¥113

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.71 ¥424

47.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.10 ¥485

53.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.48 ¥231

-15.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.51 ¥236

43.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$5.19 ¥810

-67.44%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.11 ¥330

133.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$9.40 ¥1,469

90.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$9.50 ¥1,484

1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$18.29 ¥2,858

5.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$4.90 ¥765

-33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.91 ¥298

14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.07 ¥480

-13.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$6.23 ¥973

-55.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.54 ¥241

43.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.43 ¥380

-9.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.26 ¥197

20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.83 ¥130

10.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.87 ¥604

83.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$9.66 ¥1,509

-15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.36 ¥368

-36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.13 ¥333

30.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.49 ¥232

111.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$48.37 ¥7,556

-44.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.08 ¥482

5.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.88 ¥450

-47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$15.79 ¥2,467

120.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.10 ¥172

59.09%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

69.80%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

105.63%

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

$188 €161

$117 ¥18.2K

60.63%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$23.45 ¥3,663

-34.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$30.12 ¥4,705

25.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$63.4 ¥9,905

-9.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$11.48 ¥1,794

0.87%

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

$1,003 €863

$501 ¥78.2K

100.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$12.7K ¥2.0M

33.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$44.28 ¥6,918

101.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$30.37 ¥4,744

34.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$60.3 ¥9,420

82.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$90.5 ¥14.1K

35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$435 ¥67.9K

284.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$297 ¥46.4K

347.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$909 ¥142.0K

185.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$783 ¥122.3K

149.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$4,053 ¥633.2K

86.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,818 ¥284.0K

195.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$1,966 ¥307.1K

22.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.66

90.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $435 in Nishinomiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 22% 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 $31.00 in Nishinomiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $329 per month, with Nishinomiya 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 Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nishinomiya differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,237 including rent). Nishinomiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $435 in Nishinomiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $501 in Nishinomiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,237 in Nishinomiya versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nishinomiya but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nishinomiya 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 Nishinomiya 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 Nishinomiya 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.