Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shizuoka Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shizuoka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,280 in Shizuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,942 in Shizuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,605 in Shizuoka.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 81% more expensive than in Shizuoka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Shizuoka is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$6.79 ¥1,103

160.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$34.49 ¥5,605

102.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$5.06 ¥823

179.84%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.49 ¥568

-19.77%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.06 ¥172

165.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.77 ¥125

167.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.11 ¥343

118.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.09 ¥340

124.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.62 ¥263

-24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.54 ¥250

31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.25 ¥690

-53.41%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.58 ¥257

120.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$10.63 ¥1,727

72.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$6.65 ¥1,081

47.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$15.53 ¥2,525

23.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$5.44 ¥885

-49.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.51 ¥408

-5.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.92 ¥637

-46.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.14 ¥672

-33.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.90 ¥471

-32.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.55 ¥415

-29.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.54 ¥250

-3.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.38 ¥224

-34.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$4.78 ¥776

49.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$8.82 ¥1,434

-10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.05 ¥333

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.40 ¥553

-29.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$2.05 ¥333

46.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$22.79 ¥3,704

28.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.19 ¥680

4.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.02 ¥328

5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$20.50 ¥3,332

44.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.20 ¥195

51.67%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$27.8K ¥4.5M

36.36%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$17.6K ¥2.9M

83.79%

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

$189 €165

$230 ¥37.4K

-17.87%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$16.69 ¥2,713

33.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$39.95 ¥6,492

-6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$96.8 ¥15.7K

-40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$14.10 ¥2,291

46.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$11.65 ¥1,894

-6.70%

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

$706 €618

$242 ¥39.3K

192.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

10.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$45.11 ¥7,332

98.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$29.19 ¥4,744

25.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$68.2 ¥11.1K

52.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$97.4 ¥15.8K

22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$383 ¥62.2K

312.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$280 ¥45.5K

342.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$659 ¥107.1K

311.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$569 ¥92.5K

258.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$4,382 ¥712.2K

71.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,093 ¥340.2K

150.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$2,126 ¥345.5K

11.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

239.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $383 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 11% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Shizuoka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $316 per month, with Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Shizuoka differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,280 including rent). Shizuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $383 in Shizuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $242 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,280 in Shizuoka versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shizuoka but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka 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 Shizuoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.