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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,277 in Nishinomiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,032 in Nishinomiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,786 in Nishinomiya.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 82% more expensive than in Nishinomiya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.88 ¥1,117

156.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$35.15 ¥5,711

98.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.83 ¥785

193.17%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.02 ¥491

-7.28%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.12 ¥182

150.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.75 ¥121

174.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.82 ¥458

63.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.18 ¥516

47.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.60 ¥260

-23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.72 ¥279

18.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.87 ¥791

-59.34%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.38 ¥386

46.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.75 ¥1,746

70.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.82 ¥1,270

25.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$32.78 ¥5,326

-41.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.43 ¥882

-49.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.10 ¥341

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.40 ¥552

-38.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$6.71 ¥1,090

-59.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.70 ¥276

15.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.64 ¥429

-32.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.33 ¥216

11.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.82 ¥133

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.39 ¥550

110.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.46 ¥1,538

-16.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.73 ¥443

-49.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.34 ¥381

2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.35 ¥219

122.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$55.9 ¥9,087

-47.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.52 ¥572

23.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.96 ¥481

-28.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$17.63 ¥2,865

67.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.23 ¥201

47.97%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

65.63%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

88.08%

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

$189 €166

$134 ¥21.7K

41.25%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.03 ¥4,391

-17.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$30.77 ¥5,000

20.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$51.8 ¥8,419

11.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.65 ¥2,218

51.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$12.59 ¥2,046

-13.66%

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

$706 €618

$69.9 ¥11.4K

910.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.2K ¥1.7M

45.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$44.40 ¥7,215

101.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.59 ¥4,808

23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$56.4 ¥9,166

84.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$91.0 ¥14.8K

31.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$467 ¥75.9K

237.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$335 ¥54.4K

269.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$870 ¥141.3K

211.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$653 ¥106.2K

212.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,818 ¥620.3K

97.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,940 ¥315.1K

170.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,947 ¥316.3K

21.43%

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 Nishinomiya: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $467 in Nishinomiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 21% 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 Nishinomiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $381, 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 Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nishinomiya differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,277 including rent). Nishinomiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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 $467 in Nishinomiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $69.9 in Nishinomiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,277 in Nishinomiya versus $2,320 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 82% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.