Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shiso Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shiso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,098 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,967 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,836 in Shiso.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 111% more expensive than in Shiso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shiso is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$8.03 ¥1,304

119.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$67.2 ¥10.9K

3.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.27 ¥1,018

125.84%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.61 ¥587

-22.44%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.90 ¥146

212.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.72 ¥117

186.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.64 ¥429

74.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.15 ¥512

48.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.52 ¥246

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.97 ¥482

-31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.87 ¥792

-59.34%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.30 ¥374

51.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.99 ¥1,623

83.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.30 ¥1,023

56.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$26.58 ¥4,319

-28.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.33 ¥866

-48.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.55 ¥414

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.09 ¥665

-49.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$5.87 ¥953

-53.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$4.44 ¥721

-55.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.61 ¥424

-31.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.32 ¥215

12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.83 ¥135

9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.11 ¥667

73.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.24 ¥1,176

8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.91 ¥311

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.16 ¥350

10.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.30 ¥211

131.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$33.01 ¥5,363

-11.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.53 ¥573

23.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.88 ¥469

-26.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$20.97 ¥3,406

41.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.28 ¥208

42.19%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

61.05%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$17.1K ¥2.8M

89.70%

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

$189 €166

$146 ¥23.6K

29.92%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$65.6 ¥10.7K

-66.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$13.40 ¥2,177

177.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.33 ¥6,065

55.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.76 ¥2,235

50.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.62 ¥751

135.28%

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

$706 €618

$279 ¥45.3K

153.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.4K ¥2.2M

11.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$10.05 ¥1,633

789.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.71 ¥4,827

23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$33.25 ¥5,403

212.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$102 ¥16.6K

17.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$473 ¥76.8K

233.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$165 ¥26.9K

648.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$883 ¥143.5K

207.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$670 ¥108.8K

204.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,185 ¥680.0K

79.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,075 ¥337.1K

152.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.78

90.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shiso: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $473 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $67.0 in Shiso. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $365, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shiso differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,098 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,647 in Shiso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $473 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $279 in Shiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,098 in Shiso versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiso but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shiso 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 Shiso 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 Shiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.