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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,177 in Setagaya-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,886 in Setagaya-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,595 in Setagaya-ku.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than in Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Setagaya-ku is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$7.04 ¥1,144

150.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$34.03 ¥5,530

104.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.25 ¥853

169.71%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.26 ¥530

-14.11%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.13 ¥184

148.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.77 ¥124

167.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.12 ¥345

116.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.04 ¥332

129.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.55 ¥252

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.72 ¥280

18.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.95 ¥805

-60.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.59 ¥258

119.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.91 ¥1,609

84.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.25 ¥1,015

57.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.22 ¥2,473

25.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.96 ¥968

-54.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.10 ¥503

-23.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.00 ¥649

-48.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.48 ¥729

-38.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.25 ¥527

-39.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$3.67 ¥596

-51.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.38 ¥224

7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.82 ¥134

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.10 ¥666

73.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.36 ¥1,521

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.84 ¥298

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.14 ¥348

11.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.49 ¥242

102.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$56.3 ¥9,139

-47.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.54 ¥576

23.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.99 ¥486

-28.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$22.45 ¥3,647

31.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.22 ¥198

49.18%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

66.23%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$18.2K ¥3.0M

78.09%

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

$189 €166

$83.7 ¥13.6K

125.73%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.41 ¥4,453

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$34.46 ¥5,600

7.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$48.43 ¥7,868

19.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.61 ¥2,211

51.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$13.23 ¥2,149

-17.84%

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

$706 €618

$285 ¥46.3K

147.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

8.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$42.41 ¥6,891

110.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$24.10 ¥3,916

51.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$44.69 ¥7,262

132.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$97.6 ¥15.9K

22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$467 ¥75.8K

238.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$330 ¥53.7K

274.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$865 ¥140.5K

213.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$664 ¥107.9K

207.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,241 ¥689.0K

77.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,788 ¥290.5K

193.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,417 ¥230.3K

66.80%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $467 in Setagaya-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 67% 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 Setagaya-ku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 97% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,177 including rent). Setagaya-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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 $467 in Setagaya-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $285 in Setagaya-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,177 in Setagaya-ku versus $2,320 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 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.