Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Wakayama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Wakayama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,351 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,076 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,801 in Wakayama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 75% more expensive than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Wakayama 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.80 ¥1,071

152.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$34.90 ¥5,498

95.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.32 ¥996

115.82%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.05 ¥481

-8.85%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.20 ¥190

135.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.75 ¥117

161.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$3.50 ¥552

26.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.11 ¥333

118.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.61 ¥254

-21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.78 ¥280

19.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.90 ¥773

-59.39%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.50 ¥394

34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$17.61 ¥2,774

7.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.82 ¥1,233

21.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$15.66 ¥2,468

19.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$9.21 ¥1,452

-71.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.86 ¥451

-17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$4.75 ¥749

-56.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$9.56 ¥1,506

-71.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$3.90 ¥615

-49.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.68 ¥422

-32.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.38 ¥218

9.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.43 ¥225

-37.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.55 ¥560

90.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$9.42 ¥1,484

-15.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.80 ¥441

-51.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.26 ¥356

6.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.60 ¥252

81.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$54.4 ¥8,574

-47.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.56 ¥560

28.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.97 ¥467

-31.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$17.13 ¥2,699

67.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.20 ¥189

51.67%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$23.5K ¥3.7M

67.03%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

92.05%

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

$187 €162

$140 ¥22.1K

32.99%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$27.53 ¥4,338

-19.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$33.83 ¥5,330

7.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$54.9 ¥8,642

4.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$14.05 ¥2,214

47.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$12.24 ¥1,929

-12.01%

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

$725 €628

$472 ¥74.4K

53.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

35.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$46.42 ¥7,314

89.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$32.37 ¥5,101

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$57.3 ¥9,029

80.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$91.6 ¥14.4K

29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$466 ¥73.4K

227.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$332 ¥52.3K

269.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$862 ¥135.9K

216.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$659 ¥103.8K

201.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,700 ¥740.6K

58.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,266 ¥357.1K

131.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$3,822 ¥602.2K

-37.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.67

102.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $466 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $35.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $410, 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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Wakayama differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,351 including rent). Wakayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Wakayama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $466 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $472 in Wakayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,351 in Wakayama versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wakayama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Wakayama 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 Wakayama 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 Wakayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.