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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,205 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,868 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,530 in Shiga.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 94% more expensive than Shiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shiga is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.80 ¥1,087

151.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$34.05 ¥5,446

103.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.96 ¥793

177.82%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.70 ¥431

2.22%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.09 ¥175

155.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.76 ¥122

161.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.78 ¥445

56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$4.23 ¥677

12.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.31 ¥209

-1.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.41 ¥226

45.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.04 ¥646

-50.74%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.44 ¥390

38.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$10.61 ¥1,697

77.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.46 ¥1,034

44.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$19.01 ¥3,040

0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.66 ¥585

-26.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.09 ¥334

11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.61 ¥417

-18.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.34 ¥694

-34.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.66 ¥265

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.29 ¥207

39.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.32 ¥212

9.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.89 ¥142

-3.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.97 ¥635

70.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.23 ¥1,477

-14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.11 ¥338

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.97 ¥475

-20.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.67 ¥266

74.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$55.4 ¥8,858

-48.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.56 ¥730

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.32 ¥531

-38.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$23.32 ¥3,730

26.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.16 ¥185

56.90%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

70.45%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

94.29%

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

$189 €163

$134 ¥21.5K

40.93%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$27.40 ¥4,382

-16.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$30.82 ¥4,929

21.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$56.2 ¥8,987

2.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$13.92 ¥2,227

48.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$12.63 ¥2,020

-14.33%

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

$728 €628

$69.5 ¥11.1K

948.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$10.2K ¥1.6M

44.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$44.76 ¥7,159

98.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$29.23 ¥4,674

26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$66.6 ¥10.7K

53.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$96.4 ¥15.4K

20.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$466 ¥74.5K

236.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$324 ¥51.9K

275.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$854 ¥136.5K

227.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$651 ¥104.2K

203.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,201 ¥671.9K

84.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,670 ¥427.0K

93.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,176 ¥188.1K

99.23%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shiga: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $466 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 99% 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 $34.00 in Shiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $296 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 94% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,205 including rent). Shiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 99% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $466 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $69.5 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,205 in Shiga versus $2,337 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 94% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.