Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,315 in Tsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,050 in Tsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,784 in Tsu.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 88% more expensive than in Tsu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tsu is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$6.36 ¥993

194.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$18.04 ¥2,817

285.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$3.82 ¥596

260.47%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.46 ¥384

26.02%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.18 ¥184

139.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.65 ¥101

189.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.10 ¥328

89.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.30 ¥358

96.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.60 ¥250

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.34 ¥210

61.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$5.71 ¥891

-69.18%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.07 ¥323

147.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$13.10 ¥2,046

36.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.91 ¥1,548

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$33.12 ¥5,173

-39.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$5.13 ¥801

-36.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$3.59 ¥561

-37.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.18 ¥497

-18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.27 ¥667

-35.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$3.94 ¥615

-43.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.54 ¥553

-40.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.27 ¥199

22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.03 ¥161

-7.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.53 ¥552

107.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.32 ¥1,300

-3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.08 ¥325

-25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.56 ¥244

78.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.47 ¥230

111.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$58.4 ¥9,117

-55.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.15 ¥492

3.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.14 ¥491

-52.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$27.01 ¥4,217

26.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.04 ¥163

66.35%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$19.4K ¥3.0M

87.24%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$16.8K ¥2.6M

82.26%

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

$187 €163

$151 ¥23.6K

23.91%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$24.90 ¥3,889

-39.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$43.69 ¥6,823

-13.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$52.1 ¥8,129

7.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$12.95 ¥2,022

31.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$8.45 ¥1,320

35.03%

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

$997 €868

$329 ¥51.3K

203.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,202 ¥968.5K

166.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$50.9 ¥7,947

82.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$26.14 ¥4,082

57.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$47.63 ¥7,439

133.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$66.5 ¥10.4K

88.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$520 ¥81.1K

228.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$339 ¥53.0K

279.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,034 ¥161.4K

148.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$746 ¥116.4K

160.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$3,763 ¥587.7K

103.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$1,792 ¥279.9K

188.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,573 ¥245.6K

49.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.9

66.32%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Tsu: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $520 in Tsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 49% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Tsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $397, 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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tsu differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,315 including rent). Tsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $520 in Tsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $329 in Tsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,315 in Tsu versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tsu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tsu 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 Tsu 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 Tsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.