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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,175 in Setagaya-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,805 in Setagaya-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,434 in Setagaya-ku.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than in Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Setagaya-ku is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$6.27 ¥976

193.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$25.53 ¥3,973

170.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$4.47 ¥696

216.11%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.89 ¥450

8.30%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.07 ¥167

182.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.60 ¥93.8

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.24 ¥349

78.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.07 ¥477

55.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.24 ¥192

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.71 ¥265

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.57 ¥556

-52.66%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.22 ¥190

304.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$11.57 ¥1,800

54.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$5.85 ¥911

64.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$14.22 ¥2,213

36.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$5.69 ¥885

-43.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.79 ¥435

-21.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.77 ¥431

-3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$4.07 ¥634

-31.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.62 ¥407

-15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.65 ¥412

-17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.26 ¥197

20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.54 ¥83.5

70.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$3.70 ¥576

92.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$6.28 ¥978

29.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.71 ¥267

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.01 ¥312

38.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.46 ¥227

115.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$58.8 ¥9,152

-54.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.61 ¥405

24.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.55 ¥397

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$20.04 ¥3,119

74.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.06 ¥164

65.09%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

69.57%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$17.8K ¥2.8M

73.92%

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

$188 €161

$130 ¥20.3K

44.11%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$24.06 ¥3,745

-35.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$31.88 ¥4,962

18.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$50.4 ¥7,851

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$11.79 ¥1,835

-1.78%

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

$1,003 €862

$635 ¥98.8K

58.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

17.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$36.87 ¥5,739

141.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$32.69 ¥5,087

25.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$60.4 ¥9,402

82.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$62.1 ¥9,660

97.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$459 ¥71.4K

264.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$320 ¥49.9K

315.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,206 ¥187.8K

115.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$693 ¥107.8K

181.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$4,726 ¥735.6K

60.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,124 ¥330.6K

152.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$1,446 ¥225.1K

66.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

58.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $459 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Setagaya-ku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $282 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,175 including rent). Setagaya-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $459 in Setagaya-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $635 in Setagaya-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,175 in Setagaya-ku versus $2,495 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 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.