Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Okinawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Okinawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,430 in Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,196 in Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,961 in Okinawa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 65% more expensive than Okinawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Okinawa 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$8.57 ¥1,370

105.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$41.32 ¥6,609

65.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$6.12 ¥978

129.74%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.31 ¥529

-16.01%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.32 ¥211

112.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.86 ¥137

139.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.48 ¥557

28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$4.81 ¥769

-4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.87 ¥299

-33.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.30 ¥367

-11.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.83 ¥772

-60.25%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.01 ¥321

64.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$16.33 ¥2,613

12.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.13 ¥1,780

-14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$26.95 ¥4,310

-28.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.27 ¥842

-49.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.61 ¥418

-6.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.03 ¥485

-30.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.65 ¥904

-49.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.69 ¥590

-44.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.90 ¥464

-36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.60 ¥256

-8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.94 ¥151

-10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.82 ¥771

48.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.11 ¥978

28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.72 ¥275

-19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.89 ¥461

-20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.67 ¥268

78.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$35.27 ¥5,642

-17.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.19 ¥671

9.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.77 ¥603

-45.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$12.74 ¥2,037

129.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.20 ¥192

53.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

71.13%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

92.61%

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

$188 €162

$173 ¥27.7K

8.59%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$27.72 ¥4,434

-17.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$32.51 ¥5,200

12.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$53.4 ¥8,547

7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$6.76 ¥1,081

206.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.60 ¥2,016

-11.19%

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

$721 €621

$347 ¥55.5K

107.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

11.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$48.84 ¥7,813

76.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$29.28 ¥4,683

26.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$72.9 ¥11.7K

39.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$93.1 ¥14.9K

24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$437 ¥69.9K

250.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$394 ¥63.1K

209.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$944 ¥150.9K

185.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$750 ¥119.9K

168.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$8,543 ¥1.4M

-15.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,187 ¥189.8K

337.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,292 ¥206.6K

82.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

69.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $437 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 83% 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 $41.00 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $398, 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 Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Okinawa differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,430 including rent). Okinawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 83% 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 $437 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $347 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,430 in Okinawa versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Okinawa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Okinawa 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 Okinawa 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 Okinawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.