Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Toyama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Toyama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,147 in Toyama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,850 in Toyama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,553 in Toyama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than in Toyama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Toyama is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$3.85 ¥602

377.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$43.75 ¥6,835

58.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$5.06 ¥790

179.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$3.44 ¥537

-9.01%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.08 ¥169

179.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.80 ¥124

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.44 ¥381

63.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.18 ¥497

49.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.09 ¥170

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.78 ¥122

176.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.59 ¥561

-52.92%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.98 ¥309

148.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$11.72 ¥1,831

52.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$6.14 ¥959

56.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$14.20 ¥2,219

36.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$5.69 ¥889

-43.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.80 ¥437

-22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.89 ¥452

-7.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$4.05 ¥632

-31.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.61 ¥408

-15.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.60 ¥406

-15.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.23 ¥193

23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.69 ¥107

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.78 ¥591

88.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$6.22 ¥972

30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.71 ¥267

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.97 ¥308

41.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.50 ¥234

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$51.7 ¥8,081

-47.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.05 ¥476

6.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.56 ¥401

-41.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$20.19 ¥3,154

72.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.09 ¥171

60.55%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

74.40%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$18.1K ¥2.8M

71.36%

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

$188 €161

$132 ¥20.6K

42.59%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$24.27 ¥3,791

-36.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$31.86 ¥4,976

18.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$50.7 ¥7,924

12.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$11.38 ¥1,777

1.76%

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

$1,003 €863

$615 ¥96.1K

63.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

17.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$60.7 ¥9,489

46.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$32.63 ¥5,097

25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$60.7 ¥9,484

81.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$101 ¥15.8K

21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$237 ¥37.1K

605.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$349 ¥54.5K

281.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,083 ¥169.1K

139.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$683 ¥106.6K

185.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$4,012 ¥626.8K

88.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$1,868 ¥291.8K

187.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.12

49.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Toyama: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $237 in Toyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Toyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $278 per month, with Toyama 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 Toyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Toyama differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,147 including rent). Toyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,720 in Toyama 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $237 in Toyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $615 in Toyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,147 in Toyama versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toyama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Toyama 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 Toyama 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 Toyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.