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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,216 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,935 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,655 in Otsu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 95% more expensive than Otsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Otsu is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$8.09 ¥1,293

117.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$34.07 ¥5,450

100.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.64 ¥903

149.29%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.09 ¥495

-10.03%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.92 ¥147

204.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.72 ¥115

186.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.52 ¥563

26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.19 ¥510

44.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.69 ¥270

-26.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.72 ¥274

18.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.09 ¥495

-37.86%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.35 ¥376

40.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$9.61 ¥1,537

91.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$7.75 ¥1,239

22.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.18 ¥2,428

26.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.40 ¥865

-51.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.60 ¥416

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$4.96 ¥793

-57.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.95 ¥632

-27.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.66 ¥265

22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.36 ¥378

-21.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.23 ¥197

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.01 ¥161

-16.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.04 ¥646

76.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.31 ¥1,169

7.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.80 ¥288

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.39 ¥382

-3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.61 ¥258

85.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$55.1 ¥8,818

-46.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.49 ¥557

31.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.89 ¥462

-28.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$17.62 ¥2,819

65.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.22 ¥196

50.82%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

71.26%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

91.72%

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

$188 €162

$113 ¥18.1K

66.26%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$26.63 ¥4,260

-13.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$33.27 ¥5,322

10.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$56.5 ¥9,036

1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.04 ¥2,246

47.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$12.45 ¥1,992

-10.12%

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

$721 €621

$374 ¥59.9K

92.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$7,274 ¥1.2M

106.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$46.68 ¥7,466

84.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$31.44 ¥5,028

17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$55.4 ¥8,859

84.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$92.4 ¥14.8K

25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$467 ¥74.7K

228.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$325 ¥52.1K

274.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$877 ¥140.3K

207.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$651 ¥104.2K

209.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,879 ¥780.4K

47.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,196 ¥351.2K

136.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Otsu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $467 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $306 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 95% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,216 including rent). Otsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,823 in Otsu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $467 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 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 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,216 in Otsu versus $2,367 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 95% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.