Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Otsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Otsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,223 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,920 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,617 in Otsu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 90% more expensive than in Otsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Otsu is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$8.50 ¥1,382

107.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$34.39 ¥5,587

102.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.47 ¥888

158.87%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.01 ¥490

-6.98%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.91 ¥149

208.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.72 ¥117

186.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.45 ¥560

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.20 ¥520

46.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.69 ¥275

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.71 ¥278

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.10 ¥503

-36.13%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.34 ¥379

49.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.56 ¥1,554

91.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.71 ¥1,253

27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.61 ¥2,537

22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.46 ¥887

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.60 ¥422

-8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.83 ¥785

-56.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.94 ¥641

-30.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.60 ¥260

22.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.37 ¥385

-24.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.31 ¥212

12.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.01 ¥164

-9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.06 ¥660

75.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.06 ¥1,472

-13.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.80 ¥292

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.40 ¥390

-0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.59 ¥258

89.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$54.9 ¥8,916

-46.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.44 ¥559

26.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.93 ¥475

-27.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$17.07 ¥2,773

73.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.19 ¥194

52.94%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

66.00%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$17.1K ¥2.8M

89.36%

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

$189 €166

$110 ¥17.9K

71.72%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$26.63 ¥4,326

-16.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$33.78 ¥5,488

10.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$54.9 ¥8,916

5.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.64 ¥2,216

51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$12.54 ¥2,037

-13.32%

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

$706 €618

$374 ¥60.7K

88.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,474 ¥1.2M

98.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$45.41 ¥7,378

96.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$31.67 ¥5,146

15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$56.1 ¥9,119

85.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$92.5 ¥15.0K

29.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$468 ¥76.1K

237.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$323 ¥52.5K

282.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$856 ¥139.1K

216.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$669 ¥108.8K

204.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,318 ¥701.6K

74.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,079 ¥337.7K

152.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,769 ¥287.5K

33.59%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Otsu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $468 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 34% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $311 per month, with Otsu 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Otsu differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,223 including rent). Otsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $468 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $374 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Otsu versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu 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 Otsu 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.