Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shiga Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shiga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,202 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,890 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,578 in Shiga.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 96% more expensive than in Shiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Shiga is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.01 ¥1,104

144.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$35.17 ¥5,541

93.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.76 ¥750

186.55%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.76 ¥435

0.72%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.09 ¥171

158.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.76 ¥119

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.82 ¥444

57.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$4.38 ¥690

5.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.32 ¥207

-3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.42 ¥224

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.07 ¥642

-51.11%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.41 ¥379

39.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$10.55 ¥1,663

79.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.45 ¥1,017

47.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$18.59 ¥2,930

0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.48 ¥549

-23.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.09 ¥329

12.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.55 ¥402

-18.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.37 ¥689

-37.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.66 ¥261

18.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.24 ¥195

45.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.33 ¥210

13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.82 ¥129

8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.87 ¥609

75.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$9.20 ¥1,450

-13.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.14 ¥338

-35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.04 ¥479

-21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.62 ¥255

79.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$55.2 ¥8,703

-48.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$4.58 ¥722

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$3.36 ¥530

-39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$23.51 ¥3,705

22.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.21 ¥191

50.41%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$22.9K ¥3.6M

72.06%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

88.29%

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

$187 €162

$130 ¥20.5K

43.24%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$27.43 ¥4,322

-18.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$30.97 ¥4,880

17.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$56.5 ¥8,897

1.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$13.66 ¥2,153

51.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$12.70 ¥2,001

-15.20%

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

$725 €628

$69.3 ¥10.9K

946.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$10.3K ¥1.6M

46.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$43.83 ¥6,906

100.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$29.54 ¥4,655

24.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$67.3 ¥10.6K

53.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$94.2 ¥14.8K

25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$476 ¥75.0K

220.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$330 ¥51.9K

272.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$850 ¥133.9K

220.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$657 ¥103.5K

201.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,731 ¥745.4K

57.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,754 ¥276.4K

198.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,155 ¥182.0K

107.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.81

87.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shiga: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $476 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 107% 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 Shiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $293 per month, with Shiga 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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shiga differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,202 including rent). Shiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $476 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $69.3 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,202 in Shiga versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shiga but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shiga 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 Shiga 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 Shiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.