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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,307 in Shizuoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,995 in Shizuoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,682 in Shizuoka.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Shizuoka is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.74 ¥1,078

160.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$34.42 ¥5,506

98.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.14 ¥823

173.54%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.51 ¥562

-20.80%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.05 ¥168

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.77 ¥124

167.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.11 ¥337

111.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.05 ¥328

124.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.59 ¥255

-22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.52 ¥243

33.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.21 ¥673

-54.39%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.52 ¥243

117.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.95 ¥1,751

68.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.43 ¥1,029

47.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.53 ¥2,485

23.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.40 ¥863

-51.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.48 ¥397

-1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.93 ¥628

-46.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.15 ¥663

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.94 ¥470

-30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.49 ¥399

-25.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.54 ¥246

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.37 ¥219

-38.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.78 ¥764

49.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.87 ¥1,419

-11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.06 ¥330

-33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.57 ¥571

-35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.02 ¥324

47.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$23.03 ¥3,684

27.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.11 ¥658

11.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.02 ¥323

2.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$20.50 ¥3,279

42.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.20 ¥192

53.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.6K ¥4.4M

41.41%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$17.7K ¥2.8M

84.97%

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

$188 €162

$235 ¥37.6K

-20.12%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$17.16 ¥2,744

33.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$40.20 ¥6,430

-8.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$97.9 ¥15.7K

-41.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$14.06 ¥2,249

47.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.82 ¥1,890

-5.33%

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

$721 €621

$246 ¥39.3K

193.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

10.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$45.31 ¥7,248

90.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.03 ¥4,804

23.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$68.6 ¥11.0K

48.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$96.1 ¥15.4K

20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$378 ¥60.5K

305.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$282 ¥45.1K

332.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$671 ¥107.3K

301.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$571 ¥91.4K

252.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$6,015 ¥962.0K

20.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$4,151 ¥664.0K

25.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,196 ¥351.3K

7.43%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $378 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 7% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Shizuoka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 ($2,367 vs $1,307 including rent). Shizuoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 7% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $378 in Shizuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $246 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 $1,307 in Shizuoka versus $2,367 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.