Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,347 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,036 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,725 in Osaka.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 75% more expensive than in Osaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Osaka 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$6.75 ¥1,103

154.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$35.24 ¥5,755

93.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$4.75 ¥776

187.16%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$3.29 ¥537

-15.50%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$1.10 ¥179

156.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.76 ¥124

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.82 ¥461

57.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$4.41 ¥720

4.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.59 ¥260

-20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.44 ¥235

47.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$4.78 ¥781

-58.37%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.33 ¥381

44.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$10.61 ¥1,732

78.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$6.39 ¥1,043

49.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$18.87 ¥3,081

-0.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.66 ¥598

-27.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.12 ¥346

10.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.52 ¥411

-17.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$4.44 ¥724

-38.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.67 ¥272

17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.26 ¥206

43.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.33 ¥217

13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.87 ¥143

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$3.96 ¥647

71.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$9.05 ¥1,478

-12.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.03 ¥331

-32.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.90 ¥474

-17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.59 ¥259

83.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$35.37 ¥5,776

-18.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$4.45 ¥726

2.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$3.35 ¥547

-39.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$23.70 ¥3,869

21.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.19 ¥195

52.94%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$23.1K ¥3.8M

70.22%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$16.9K ¥2.8M

92.64%

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

$187 €163

$135 ¥22.0K

38.22%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$27.52 ¥4,493

-19.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$30.63 ¥5,001

18.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$57.2 ¥9,347

0.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$21.14 ¥3,452

-1.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$12.25 ¥2,000

-12.08%

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

$725 €632

$68.0 ¥11.1K

965.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

44.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$44.66 ¥7,292

96.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$28.96 ¥4,729

27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$68.6 ¥11.2K

50.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$96.6 ¥15.8K

22.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$721 ¥117.7K

111.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$474 ¥77.3K

159.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$1,298 ¥211.9K

110.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$818 ¥133.6K

142.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$5,971 ¥975.1K

25.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$2,029 ¥331.3K

158.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,868 ¥305.0K

28.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.81

87.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Osaka: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $721 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 28% 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 Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $300 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

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 Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Osaka differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,347 including rent). Osaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% 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 $721 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $68.0 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,347 in Osaka versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Osaka but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Osaka 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 Osaka 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 Osaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.