Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Setagaya-ku Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Setagaya-ku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,188 in Setagaya-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,849 in Setagaya-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,510 in Setagaya-ku.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 99% more expensive than Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Setagaya-ku is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.83 ¥1,092

157.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$35.18 ¥5,628

94.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.26 ¥841

167.30%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.26 ¥522

-14.72%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.10 ¥176

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.76 ¥121

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.13 ¥341

109.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.07 ¥331

122.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.56 ¥250

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.76 ¥281

15.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.89 ¥783

-60.74%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.52 ¥243

117.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$9.89 ¥1,582

86.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.22 ¥995

52.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.46 ¥2,473

23.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.90 ¥944

-55.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.04 ¥486

-19.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.92 ¥627

-45.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.66 ¥745

-38.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.37 ¥539

-39.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.73 ¥596

-50.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.38 ¥221

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 ¥131

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.99 ¥638

78.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.27 ¥1,483

-14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.74 ¥279

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.07 ¥331

11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.49 ¥238

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$55.6 ¥8,892

-47.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.54 ¥567

29.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.99 ¥478

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$22.35 ¥3,575

30.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.19 ¥190

54.62%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.3K ¥3.7M

67.14%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$18.6K ¥3.0M

75.78%

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

$188 €162

$83.7 ¥13.4K

124.45%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$27.09 ¥4,332

-15.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$34.07 ¥5,449

7.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$49.31 ¥7,888

16.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.92 ¥2,227

48.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$13.05 ¥2,088

-14.25%

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

$721 €621

$284 ¥45.5K

153.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

7.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.49 ¥6,637

107.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$24.15 ¥3,862

53.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$45.87 ¥7,337

122.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$98.7 ¥15.8K

17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$461 ¥73.7K

232.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$334 ¥53.4K

265.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$859 ¥137.4K

213.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$668 ¥106.9K

201.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,689 ¥750.1K

53.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,426 ¥388.0K

113.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,419 ¥226.9K

66.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

69.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $461 in Setagaya-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 66% 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 Setagaya-ku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $317 per month, with Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Setagaya-ku differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,188 including rent). Setagaya-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 66% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $461 in Setagaya-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $284 in Setagaya-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,188 in Setagaya-ku versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setagaya-ku but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.