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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,916 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,804 in Shiso.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 143% more expensive than in Shiso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Shiso is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$7.99 ¥1,249

130.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$66.2 ¥10.3K

4.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$6.45 ¥1,007

119.07%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.55 ¥554

-11.83%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.86 ¥134

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.71 ¥110

176.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.61 ¥408

53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.09 ¥482

54.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.53 ¥239

-18.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.90 ¥454

-25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$4.90 ¥766

-65.51%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.18 ¥341

126.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$10.25 ¥1,601

74.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$6.25 ¥977

53.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$26.41 ¥4,125

-26.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$5.50 ¥858

-41.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.68 ¥419

-18.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.08 ¥638

-34.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$5.73 ¥896

-51.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$4.29 ¥671

-48.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.58 ¥403

-15.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.40 ¥218

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.81 ¥127

13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$4.06 ¥635

75.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$7.26 ¥1,135

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.90 ¥297

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.27 ¥355

22.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.37 ¥213

129.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$32.74 ¥5,115

-17.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.48 ¥544

-6.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.92 ¥456

-48.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$20.83 ¥3,255

67.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.21 ¥190

44.63%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$23.0K ¥3.6M

59.36%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$17.3K ¥2.7M

78.34%

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

$188 €161

$146 ¥22.8K

28.59%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$23.62 ¥3,689

-34.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$13.37 ¥2,089

182.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$36.94 ¥5,771

54.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$14.09 ¥2,201

19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$4.77 ¥745

142.77%

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

$1,003 €863

$285 ¥44.5K

252.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$9.87 ¥1,541

803.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$29.61 ¥4,626

38.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$33.58 ¥5,246

227.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$101 ¥15.8K

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$471 ¥73.5K

255.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$166 ¥25.9K

703.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$857 ¥133.9K

202.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$662 ¥103.4K

194.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$4,279 ¥668.4K

77.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,109 ¥329.4K

154.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.78

77.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Shiso: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $471 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $66.0 in Shiso. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $364, 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 143% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,028 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,542 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $471 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $285 in Shiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,028 in Shiso versus $2,495 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 143% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.