Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Okayama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Okayama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,041 in Okayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,684 in Okayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,327 in Okayama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 127% more expensive than in Okayama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Okayama is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.73 ¥1,060

154.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$27.94 ¥4,403

143.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.24 ¥983

118.59%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.95 ¥308

42.56%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.73 ¥115

286.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.72 ¥113

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.06 ¥325

115.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.03 ¥319

127.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.49 ¥235

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.67 ¥105

217.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.95 ¥781

-59.80%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.69 ¥266

99.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$16.43 ¥2,589

15.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.73 ¥1,061

41.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$15.40 ¥2,427

21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$5.59 ¥880

-52.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.91 ¥458

-19.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$4.92 ¥776

-57.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.98 ¥785

-45.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.47 ¥389

-20.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.06 ¥324

-12.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.34 ¥211

12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.78 ¥123

14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.53 ¥556

92.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$9.04 ¥1,425

-12.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.03 ¥320

-32.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.13 ¥336

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.61 ¥254

80.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$54.9 ¥8,644

-47.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.46 ¥545

32.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.65 ¥417

-23.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$23.58 ¥3,716

21.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.10 ¥173

65.45%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

72.17%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

88.74%

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

$187 €162

$77.7 ¥12.2K

140.13%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$15.00 ¥2,364

48.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$27.33 ¥4,306

33.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$55.9 ¥8,804

2.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$13.93 ¥2,195

48.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$12.42 ¥1,957

-13.29%

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

$725 €628

$476 ¥75.0K

52.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

35.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$45.84 ¥7,223

91.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$32.41 ¥5,107

13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$56.4 ¥8,881

83.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$90.5 ¥14.3K

30.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$359 ¥56.6K

324.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$208 ¥32.8K

488.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$697 ¥109.9K

291.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$466 ¥73.3K

326.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,323 ¥208.4K

80.87%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Okayama: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $359 in Okayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 81% 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 $28.00 in Okayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $326, 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 Okayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Okayama differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,041 including rent). Okayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $359 in Okayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $476 in Okayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,041 in Okayama versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Okayama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Okayama 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 Okayama 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 Okayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.