Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tsukuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tsukuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,148 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,829 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,511 in Tsukuba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 106% more expensive than Tsukuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tsukuba is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$4.24 ¥678

314.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$36.23 ¥5,795

88.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.42 ¥867

159.41%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.83 ¥452

-1.77%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.92 ¥147

204.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.81 ¥130

154.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.99 ¥318

124.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.05 ¥488

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.56 ¥250

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.74 ¥279

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.50 ¥401

-23.20%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.20 ¥353

50.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.30 ¥1,328

122.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.07 ¥972

56.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$11.14 ¥1,782

71.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.90 ¥943

-55.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.03 ¥485

-19.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.93 ¥629

-46.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.05 ¥328

39.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.39 ¥542

-39.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.46 ¥553

-46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.07 ¥172

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.86 ¥138

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.00 ¥641

78.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.42 ¥1,506

-16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.74 ¥279

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.06 ¥330

12.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.49 ¥399

19.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$54.4 ¥8,697

-46.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.44 ¥551

33.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.89 ¥462

-28.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$21.87 ¥3,499

33.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.18 ¥189

55.93%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.4K ¥3.4M

82.49%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$15.4K ¥2.5M

112.42%

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

$188 €162

$141 ¥22.6K

33.16%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$27.94 ¥4,469

-17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$34.60 ¥5,535

6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$60.2 ¥9,624

-4.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$13.79 ¥2,206

50.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$13.60 ¥2,175

-17.72%

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

$721 €621

$136 ¥21.8K

429.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$11.9K ¥1.9M

26.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$41.80 ¥6,685

106.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$29.96 ¥4,792

23.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$42.14 ¥6,741

142.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$96.0 ¥15.3K

20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$503 ¥80.4K

205.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$317 ¥50.8K

284.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,188 ¥190.0K

126.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$697 ¥111.4K

189.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,365 ¥698.2K

65.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,137 ¥341.8K

142.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,413 ¥226.1K

66.93%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $503 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 67% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Tsukuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $278 per month, with Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tsukuba differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,148 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 67% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $503 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $136 in Tsukuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,148 in Tsukuba versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.