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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,155 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,866 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,577 in Tsukuba.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tsukuba is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.12 ¥669

328.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$36.67 ¥5,958

89.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.71 ¥928

147.99%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.82 ¥457

-0.71%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.89 ¥145

215.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.75 ¥121

174.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.92 ¥312

139.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.10 ¥503

51.29%

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

$2.48 ¥402

-20.16%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.22 ¥360

57.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$8.07 ¥1,312

127.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.10 ¥992

61.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$11.17 ¥1,814

71.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.85 ¥950

-53.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.09 ¥503

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.96 ¥643

-47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.10 ¥341

30.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.23 ¥524

-39.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$3.42 ¥556

-47.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.07 ¥174

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.83 ¥136

9.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.89 ¥633

83.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.99 ¥1,460

-12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.81 ¥293

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.13 ¥346

12.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.49 ¥405

20.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$54.5 ¥8,851

-46.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.38 ¥550

28.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.96 ¥481

-28.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$22.57 ¥3,668

31.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.22 ¥199

49.18%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.0K ¥3.6M

72.48%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$15.1K ¥2.5M

114.03%

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

$189 €166

$143 ¥23.2K

32.33%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.48 ¥4,464

-18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$34.06 ¥5,534

9.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$59.5 ¥9,670

-2.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.00 ¥2,275

47.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$13.76 ¥2,236

-21.00%

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

$706 €618

$141 ¥22.9K

400.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$12.1K ¥2.0M

23.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$40.95 ¥6,654

118.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.33 ¥4,765

24.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$41.63 ¥6,764

149.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$96.3 ¥15.6K

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$518 ¥84.1K

204.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$316 ¥51.4K

291.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,186 ¥192.8K

128.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$692 ¥112.4K

194.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,959 ¥643.2K

90.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,109 ¥342.7K

148.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,395 ¥226.6K

69.48%

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 Tsukuba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $518 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 69% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Tsukuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $276 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 101% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,155 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $518 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $141 in Tsukuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,155 in Tsukuba versus $2,320 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 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.