Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Shizuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,139 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Shizuoka, Japan
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Shizuoka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,139
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Shizuoka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Shizuoka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,139 in Shizuoka.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Shizuoka $1,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,788 in Shizuoka.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Shizuoka $1,788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $2,437 in Shizuoka.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Shizuoka $2,437

Living in Barcelona is roughly 114% more expensive than in Shizuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Shizuoka is 16% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.71
$6.31 ¥999
179.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.0
$32.15 ¥5,090
109.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.12
$5.00 ¥792
172.20%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.76
$2.96 ¥469
4.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$0.99 ¥157
203.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$0.72 ¥113
168.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.42
$2.75 ¥436
39.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.88
$3.71 ¥588
17.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.44 ¥228
-13.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.25 ¥197
69.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$4.40 ¥697
-55.23%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.24
$1.77 ¥281
168.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.19
$6.81 ¥1,078
150.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.97
$5.26 ¥833
70.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.38
$14.22 ¥2,251
45.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$3.46 ¥549
-8.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.92 ¥304
2.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$3.46 ¥548
-23.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$3.12 ¥495
-7.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.52 ¥240
35.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.14 ¥181
91.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.12 ¥178
36.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$0.81 ¥129
19.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.20
$3.73 ¥591
86.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.02
$8.64 ¥1,369
-8.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.44 ¥228
-1.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$3.09 ¥489
-12.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$1.82 ¥288
81.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.79
$56.8 ¥8,998
-54.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$3.44 ¥545
-10.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.92 ¥304
-22.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.25
$19.32 ¥3,059
70.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.05 ¥166
78.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$22.6K ¥3.6M
45.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$14.9K ¥2.4M
114.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$139 ¥22.1K
31.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.67
$15.66 ¥2,479
-9.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.76
$31.13 ¥4,930
11.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.76
$52.0 ¥8,237
-1.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.58
$10.71 ¥1,697
52.94%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.85
$12.00 ¥1,901
-7.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €840
$318 ¥50.3K
197.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$13.2K ¥2.1M
68.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.0
$18.47 ¥2,924
374.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.51
$21.64 ¥3,426
79.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.0
$61.9 ¥9,794
69.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$91.4 ¥14.5K
28.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,510
$336 ¥53.2K
404.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,190
$333 ¥52.7K
301.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,396
$1,001 ¥158.6K
168.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,848
$725 ¥114.8K
186.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,367
$4,357 ¥689.9K
64.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,520
$2,349 ¥371.9K
116.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Shizuoka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,995
$2,197 ¥347.9K
2.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
1
219.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Shizuoka: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Shizuoka
$333 75.1% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Shizuoka
$251 23.4% $77
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Shizuoka
$129 51.7% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Shizuoka
$186 19.6% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Shizuoka
$87 44.6% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Shizuoka
$76 3.4% $2.5
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Shizuoka
$77 56.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $336 in Shizuoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $32 in Shizuoka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $251 per month, with Shizuoka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇯🇵 Shizuoka
🕒 Local time
11:07 11:07 AM
19:07 7:07 PM
8 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
701,803
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Shizuoka 10,420 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Shizuoka

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Shizuoka?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,139 in Shizuoka, so Shizuoka is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Shizuoka?
You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $1,708 in Shizuoka 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Shizuoka?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $336 in Shizuoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Shizuoka?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $318 in Shizuoka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,139 in Shizuoka versus $2,443 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Shizuoka?
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.
Is Barcelona or Shizuoka safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Shizuoka are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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