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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,352 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,044 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,737 in Osaka.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 73% more expensive than Osaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Osaka 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.95 ¥1,112

145.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$34.23 ¥5,475

102.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.87 ¥778

182.96%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.29 ¥527

-16.11%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.08 ¥174

158.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.75 ¥121

165.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.82 ¥450

54.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.30 ¥687

10.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.59 ¥254

-18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.49 ¥238

37.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.68 ¥749

-57.48%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.41 ¥386

40.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.49 ¥1,679

79.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.33 ¥1,013

47.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$19.18 ¥3,068

-0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.69 ¥590

-26.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.11 ¥338

10.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.60 ¥416

-18.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.55 ¥727

-37.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.71 ¥274

15.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.25 ¥200

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.36 ¥218

6.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.84 ¥135

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.85 ¥615

76.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.13 ¥1,460

-13.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.05 ¥328

-32.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.93 ¥469

-19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.60 ¥256

82.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$36.06 ¥5,768

-20.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.56 ¥729

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.38 ¥540

-39.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$23.20 ¥3,710

27.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.22 ¥196

49.18%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

64.63%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$17.3K ¥2.8M

91.70%

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

$189 €163

$132 ¥21.0K

43.84%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$27.19 ¥4,349

-16.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$30.52 ¥4,881

23.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$57.3 ¥9,170

0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$21.19 ¥3,390

-2.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$12.24 ¥1,957

-11.60%

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

$728 €628

$68.3 ¥10.9K

967.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$10.6K ¥1.7M

39.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$44.66 ¥7,144

98.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$29.63 ¥4,740

24.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$68.4 ¥10.9K

49.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$96.4 ¥15.4K

20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$732 ¥117.0K

114.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$466 ¥74.6K

161.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,284 ¥205.4K

117.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$813 ¥130.1K

142.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$6,119 ¥978.7K

26.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,098 ¥335.5K

146.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,968 ¥314.7K

19.10%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Osaka: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $732 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 19% 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 $34.00 in Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $302 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 73% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,352 including rent). Osaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 19% 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 $732 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $68.3 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,352 in Osaka versus $2,337 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 73% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.