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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,241 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,929 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,618 in Shiga.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 100% more expensive than in Shiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Shiga is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$6.46 ¥1,010

190.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$31.75 ¥4,959

118.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.04 ¥788

173.21%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.02 ¥472

2.65%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.31 ¥205

116.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.71 ¥110

164.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.83 ¥442

40.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.63 ¥566

24.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.32 ¥205

-3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.29 ¥201

67.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.97 ¥619

-55.67%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.10 ¥329

144.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$9.56 ¥1,493

87.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.37 ¥1,463

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$18.74 ¥2,926

7.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.55 ¥555

-8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.95 ¥305

14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.05 ¥320

26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.12 ¥643

-33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.55 ¥243

42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.16 ¥181

82.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.35 ¥210

14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.80 ¥125

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.91 ¥611

87.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$9.49 ¥1,482

-15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.93 ¥302

-20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.20 ¥500

-12.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.18 ¥185

163.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$58.5 ¥9,138

-55.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.84 ¥599

-14.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.17 ¥495

-53.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$22.08 ¥3,448

55.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.11 ¥174

55.86%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

66.49%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

101.38%

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

$187 €163

$143 ¥22.3K

31.04%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$25.02 ¥3,908

-39.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$19.05 ¥2,975

97.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$51.8 ¥8,091

7.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$12.30 ¥1,921

-7.24%

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

$997 €868

$535 ¥83.5K

86.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

25.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$50.1 ¥7,826

84.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$30.73 ¥4,799

34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$74.1 ¥11.6K

50.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$94.2 ¥14.7K

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$506 ¥79.0K

237.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$338 ¥52.8K

280.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,045 ¥163.2K

145.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$744 ¥116.3K

160.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$3,944 ¥615.9K

93.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,670 ¥260.8K

209.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,227 ¥191.6K

91.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.21

42.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Shiga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $506 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 91% 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 Shiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $297 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 100% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,241 including rent). Shiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 91% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $506 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $535 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,241 in Shiga versus $2,476 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 100% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.