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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,353 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,946 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,539 in Otsu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 84% more expensive than in Otsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Otsu is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$8.97 ¥1,378

105.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$32.16 ¥4,939

115.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.06 ¥777

177.67%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.18 ¥489

-2.20%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.27 ¥194

133.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.85 ¥131

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.18 ¥488

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.61 ¥707

0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.55 ¥237

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.58 ¥242

33.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$4.55 ¥699

-59.78%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.29 ¥351

125.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$16.29 ¥2,501

7.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.63 ¥1,018

43.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$17.39 ¥2,670

14.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$5.07 ¥778

-37.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.64 ¥405

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$5.07 ¥779

-48.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.42 ¥678

-35.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.23 ¥342

-2.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.91 ¥293

10.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.17 ¥180

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.90 ¥139

-2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.00 ¥613

79.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$9.71 ¥1,491

-14.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.13 ¥327

-29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.22 ¥341

23.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.52 ¥233

106.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$60.8 ¥9,332

-56.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.26 ¥501

-1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.97 ¥456

-49.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$28.77 ¥4,418

22.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.13 ¥174

54.87%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$22.5K ¥3.5M

62.61%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

105.60%

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

$187 €161

$120 ¥18.4K

56.15%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$24.17 ¥3,712

-37.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$32.09 ¥4,927

17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$53.1 ¥8,159

4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$9.90 ¥1,519

69.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$12.86 ¥1,974

-8.94%

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

$1,011 €871

$585 ¥89.9K

72.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$13.0K ¥2.0M

31.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$56.8 ¥8,724

60.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$36.65 ¥5,628

11.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$69.7 ¥10.7K

58.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$102 ¥15.7K

23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$454 ¥69.8K

274.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$375 ¥57.6K

246.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$658 ¥101.0K

293.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$480 ¥73.7K

301.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$4,448 ¥683.0K

73.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,019 ¥310.0K

166.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,871 ¥287.3K

26.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.1

50.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Otsu: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $454 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 27% 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 $32.00 in Otsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $337, 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Otsu differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,353 including rent). Otsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $454 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $585 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,353 in Otsu versus $2,482 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 84% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.