Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Suginami-ku Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Suginami-ku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,231 in Suginami-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,991 in Suginami-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,751 in Suginami-ku.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 101% more expensive than in Suginami-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Suginami-ku is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$6.52 ¥1,018

187.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$41.54 ¥6,488

67.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.03 ¥786

173.76%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.58 ¥559

-13.41%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.12 ¥175

152.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.82 ¥128

129.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.56 ¥400

55.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.29 ¥514

37.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.46 ¥228

-13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.75 ¥273

23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.74 ¥584

-52.94%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.14 ¥335

139.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$12.04 ¥1,880

48.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.14 ¥959

57.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$14.54 ¥2,271

38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$5.97 ¥933

-45.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.89 ¥451

-22.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.94 ¥459

-11.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.42 ¥690

-37.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.66 ¥415

-16.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.59 ¥405

-18.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.27 ¥199

22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.77 ¥120

23.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.87 ¥604

89.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.41 ¥1,001

25.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.81 ¥282

-14.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.12 ¥332

31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.35 ¥211

130.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$56.8 ¥8,872

-54.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.18 ¥497

2.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.61 ¥408

-43.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$21.23 ¥3,316

61.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.15 ¥180

50.43%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

65.53%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.9K ¥3.0M

61.19%

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

$187 €163

$136 ¥21.2K

37.70%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$24.41 ¥3,811

-37.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$33.10 ¥5,169

13.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$60.4 ¥9,435

-7.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$12.97 ¥2,026

-12.03%

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

$997 €868

$635 ¥99.1K

56.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$65.1 ¥10.2K

42.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$33.43 ¥5,221

23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$62.6 ¥9,768

77.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$105 ¥16.4K

18.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$509 ¥79.5K

235.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$327 ¥51.1K

293.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,058 ¥165.2K

142.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$776 ¥121.2K

150.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$3,694 ¥576.8K

107.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,970 ¥307.7K

162.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$2,849 ¥444.9K

-17.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

58.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $509 in Suginami-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Suginami-ku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $301 per month, with Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Suginami-ku differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,231 including rent). Suginami-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Suginami-ku. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $509 in Suginami-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $635 in Suginami-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,231 in Suginami-ku versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suginami-ku but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.