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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,106 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,996 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,887 in Shiso.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 114% more expensive than Shiso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Shiso is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$8.17 ¥1,306

115.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$67.6 ¥10.8K

1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$6.40 ¥1,024

119.69%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.62 ¥579

-23.20%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.86 ¥137

225.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.70 ¥112

194.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.56 ¥409

74.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.14 ¥503

46.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.60 ¥256

-22.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.97 ¥475

-31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.84 ¥774

-60.33%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.23 ¥356

48.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.22 ¥1,635

80.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.23 ¥997

52.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$27.03 ¥4,324

-29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.36 ¥857

-50.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.63 ¥420

-6.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.95 ¥632

-46.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.05 ¥968

-52.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$4.48 ¥717

-54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.59 ¥415

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.33 ¥212

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.84 ¥134

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.28 ¥684

66.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.40 ¥1,184

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.86 ¥298

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.26 ¥361

2.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.34 ¥215

122.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$33.38 ¥5,340

-12.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.50 ¥560

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.89 ¥463

-28.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$21.17 ¥3,385

37.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.22 ¥196

50.82%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

65.32%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

91.35%

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

$188 €162

$145 ¥23.2K

29.70%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$67.3 ¥10.8K

-65.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$13.41 ¥2,145

173.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$37.17 ¥5,945

54.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.73 ¥2,196

50.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.57 ¥732

144.86%

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

$721 €621

$279 ¥44.5K

158.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

12.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$9.82 ¥1,571

777.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$28.89 ¥4,621

28.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$33.14 ¥5,300

207.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$101 ¥16.1K

15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$459 ¥73.4K

234.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$167 ¥26.8K

628.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$881 ¥141.0K

205.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$668 ¥106.9K

201.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,211 ¥673.6K

71.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,988 ¥318.0K

160.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shiso: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $459 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $368 per month, with Barcelona 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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shiso differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,106 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,658 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $459 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 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 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,106 in Shiso versus $2,367 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 114% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.