Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tsushima Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsushima Island: $1,232 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Tsushima Island, Japan
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Tsushima Island
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,232
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Tsushima Island

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Tsushima Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,232 in Tsushima Island.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Tsushima Island $1,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,930 in Tsushima Island.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Tsushima Island $1,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $2,629 in Tsushima Island.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Tsushima Island $2,629

Living in Barcelona is roughly 98% more expensive than in Tsushima Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tsushima Island is 9% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.69
$6.98 ¥1,106
153.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €59.9
$35.22 ¥5,579
91.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.09
$5.63 ¥893
141.74%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.75
$3.10 ¥491
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$1.14 ¥181
163.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$0.82 ¥129
135.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.41
$2.06 ¥327
86.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.87
$3.10 ¥491
40.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.52 ¥241
-17.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.67 ¥264
26.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$4.69 ¥743
-58.00%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.23
$2.26 ¥358
110.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.16
$10.19 ¥1,615
67.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.96
$6.17 ¥977
45.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.34
$15.46 ¥2,449
33.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$5.42 ¥858
-41.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.62 ¥416
-24.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$3.95 ¥626
-32.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.56
$4.49 ¥711
-35.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$3.35 ¥531
-38.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.55 ¥403
-14.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.32 ¥209
15.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$0.87 ¥139
11.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.19
$4.08 ¥646
70.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.01
$6.48 ¥1,027
21.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.94 ¥307
-26.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.36 ¥374
13.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$1.60 ¥254
106.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.75
$55.6 ¥8,813
-53.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$3.54 ¥561
-12.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.99 ¥474
-50.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.20
$20.96 ¥3,320
56.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.19 ¥188
57.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$23.6K ¥3.7M
39.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$17.2K ¥2.7M
85.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €162
$138 ¥21.9K
32.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.65
$27.47 ¥4,351
-48.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.70
$33.39 ¥5,289
3.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.68
$58.3 ¥9,231
-11.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.55
$13.99 ¥2,216
17.08%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.83
$13.37 ¥2,118
-17.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €838
$284 ¥45.1K
231.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$13.3K ¥2.1M
67.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €77.9
$43.63 ¥6,912
100.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.44
$29.76 ¥4,715
30.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €92.9
$59.3 ¥9,388
76.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$90.5 ¥14.3K
29.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,507
$473 ¥74.9K
259.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,187
$326 ¥51.6K
310.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,391
$873 ¥138.3K
208.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,845
$666 ¥105.5K
211.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,356
$2,785 ¥441.2K
156.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,512
$1,744 ¥276.3K
191.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Tsushima Island
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,991
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
1.81
76.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tsushima Island: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Tsushima Island
$326 75.6% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Tsushima Island
$307 6.4% $21
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Tsushima Island
$134 49.7% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Tsushima Island
$199 14.1% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Tsushima Island
$100 36% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Tsushima Island
$85 15.6% $11
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Tsushima Island
$81 63.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $473 in Tsushima Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $35 in Tsushima Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $307 per month, with Tsushima Island cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇯🇵 Tsushima Island
🕒 Local time
00:43 12:43 AM
08:43 8:43 AM
8 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
28,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Tsushima Island 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Tsushima Island

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tsushima Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Tsushima Island?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,232 in Tsushima Island, so Tsushima Island is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Tsushima Island?
You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $1,848 in Tsushima Island 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Tsushima Island?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $473 in Tsushima Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Tsushima Island?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $284 in Tsushima Island. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,232 in Tsushima Island versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsushima Island but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tsushima Island the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Tsushima Island?
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.
Is Barcelona or Tsushima Island safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Tsushima Island are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?