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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,177 in Suginami-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,890 in Suginami-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,602 in Suginami-ku.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than in Suginami-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Suginami-ku is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.98 ¥1,134

153.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$35.14 ¥5,710

98.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.07 ¥824

179.29%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.19 ¥518

-12.23%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.13 ¥184

148.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.77 ¥124

167.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.02 ¥329

127.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.04 ¥331

129.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.57 ¥255

-21.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.74 ¥283

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.97 ¥808

-60.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.58 ¥257

120.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.00 ¥1,624

83.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.41 ¥1,041

53.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.32 ¥2,489

24.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.89 ¥958

-53.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.13 ¥509

-23.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.08 ¥662

-49.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.60 ¥748

-40.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.33 ¥541

-41.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$3.73 ¥605

-52.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.39 ¥226

6.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.86 ¥141

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.15 ¥674

71.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.44 ¥1,534

-16.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.75 ¥284

-21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.12 ¥344

12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.61 ¥262

86.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$54.5 ¥8,855

-46.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.49 ¥568

24.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.01 ¥489

-29.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$22.25 ¥3,616

33.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.25 ¥202

45.60%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

66.31%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$18.6K ¥3.0M

73.93%

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

$189 €166

$83.6 ¥13.6K

126.17%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.56 ¥4,478

-19.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$34.22 ¥5,560

8.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$56.8 ¥9,229

2.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$13.94 ¥2,265

48.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.47 ¥1,864

-5.23%

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

$706 €618

$287 ¥46.6K

146.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

7.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$20.67 ¥3,359

332.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.29 ¥4,759

24.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$60.6 ¥9,852

71.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$97.9 ¥15.9K

22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$471 ¥76.6K

234.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$334 ¥54.3K

270.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$857 ¥139.2K

216.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$668 ¥108.6K

205.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,568 ¥742.1K

64.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,023 ¥328.7K

158.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,703 ¥439.2K

-12.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

69.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $471 in Suginami-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Suginami-ku. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $320, 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 Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Suginami-ku differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,177 including rent). Suginami-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $471 in Suginami-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $287 in Suginami-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,177 in Suginami-ku versus $2,320 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 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.