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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,299 in Nishinomiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,016 in Nishinomiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,732 in Nishinomiya.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Nishinomiya is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.98 ¥1,116

151.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$35.32 ¥5,650

93.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.78 ¥764

194.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.00 ¥480

-7.33%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.08 ¥173

159.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.70 ¥112

194.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.84 ¥454

57.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.03 ¥485

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.52 ¥243

-18.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.72 ¥275

18.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.79 ¥766

-59.92%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.41 ¥385

37.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.57 ¥1,691

74.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$7.56 ¥1,209

25.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$32.07 ¥5,130

-40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.42 ¥867

-51.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.19 ¥350

11.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.38 ¥541

-37.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.89 ¥1,102

-58.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.77 ¥283

15.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.65 ¥423

-30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.32 ¥211

11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.84 ¥135

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.38 ¥540

111.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.31 ¥1,489

-15.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.77 ¥444

-50.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.28 ¥365

1.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.28 ¥205

132.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$54.5 ¥8,712

-46.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.44 ¥550

33.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.92 ¥467

-29.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$17.26 ¥2,761

69.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.23 ¥196

49.59%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

66.53%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$17.3K ¥2.8M

89.53%

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

$188 €162

$133 ¥21.3K

40.92%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$27.10 ¥4,335

-15.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$30.40 ¥4,863

20.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$52.8 ¥8,441

8.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.65 ¥2,183

51.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.23 ¥1,957

-8.50%

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

$721 €621

$69.8 ¥11.2K

932.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

43.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$44.38 ¥7,098

94.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$28.99 ¥4,636

27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$57.2 ¥9,144

78.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$92.5 ¥14.8K

25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$461 ¥73.8K

232.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$335 ¥53.5K

264.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$860 ¥137.5K

213.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$657 ¥105.0K

206.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,959 ¥313.4K

20.42%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $461 in Nishinomiya. 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Nishinomiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $378, 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 ($2,367 vs $1,299 including rent). Nishinomiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 20% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $461 in Nishinomiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $69.8 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 $1,299 in Nishinomiya versus $2,367 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.