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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,027 in Okayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,676 in Okayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,325 in Okayama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 128% more expensive than Okayama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Okayama is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$7.08 ¥1,132

141.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$27.29 ¥4,365

153.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.02 ¥963

128.90%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.86 ¥297

48.39%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.74 ¥118

277.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.72 ¥115

176.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.05 ¥328

112.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.07 ¥331

128.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.50 ¥239

-14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.70 ¥112

192.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.91 ¥786

-59.47%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.63 ¥260

107.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$16.89 ¥2,701

11.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.84 ¥1,093

36.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$15.62 ¥2,499

22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$5.49 ¥878

-50.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.76 ¥442

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$4.82 ¥771

-56.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.78 ¥765

-40.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.37 ¥379

-16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.10 ¥335

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.37 ¥220

5.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.79 ¥127

8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.40 ¥544

99.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.61 ¥1,537

-17.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.11 ¥338

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.03 ¥324

16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.65 ¥264

76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$56.2 ¥8,990

-48.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.38 ¥540

31.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.70 ¥432

-24.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$23.41 ¥3,745

26.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.09 ¥174

66.97%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

66.29%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

94.23%

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

$189 €163

$79.6 ¥12.7K

137.64%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$15.12 ¥2,418

50.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$28.01 ¥4,479

34.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$55.6 ¥8,894

3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$14.12 ¥2,258

46.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$12.28 ¥1,965

-11.89%

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

$728 €628

$471 ¥75.3K

54.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

32.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$46.24 ¥7,396

91.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$31.76 ¥5,079

16.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$56.4 ¥9,015

81.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$91.9 ¥14.7K

26.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$366 ¥58.5K

328.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$208 ¥33.3K

484.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$722 ¥115.5K

286.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$461 ¥73.7K

328.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,385 ¥221.5K

69.24%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Okayama: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $366 in Okayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 69% 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 $27.00 in Okayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $327, 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 128% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,027 including rent). Okayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 69% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $366 in Okayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $471 in Okayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,027 in Okayama versus $2,337 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 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.