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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,301 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,049 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,797 in Wakayama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 90% more expensive than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Wakayama is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.57 ¥1,026

185.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$32.06 ¥5,003

116.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.25 ¥819

162.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.54 ¥396

22.05%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.33 ¥207

112.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.91 ¥142

106.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.27 ¥510

21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.91 ¥297

137.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.61 ¥252

-21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.57 ¥245

37.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.24 ¥661

-58.49%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.21 ¥344

132.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$16.08 ¥2,509

11.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.15 ¥1,115

34.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$17.47 ¥2,725

15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$8.43 ¥1,315

-61.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$3.02 ¥471

-26.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$5.23 ¥816

-50.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$7.96 ¥1,242

-65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$4.03 ¥629

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$4.72 ¥736

-55.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.15 ¥179

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.96 ¥150

-1.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.04 ¥630

81.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$9.45 ¥1,475

-14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.68 ¥418

-42.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.23 ¥348

25.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.66 ¥260

87.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$53.4 ¥8,324

-51.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.31 ¥516

-1.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.95 ¥461

-49.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$16.12 ¥2,515

112.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.12 ¥175

54.46%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$22.4K ¥3.5M

62.51%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

99.59%

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

$187 €163

$117 ¥18.3K

59.91%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$23.75 ¥3,706

-36.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$32.35 ¥5,048

16.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$49.48 ¥7,720

13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$11.54 ¥1,800

-1.13%

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

$997 €869

$597 ¥93.1K

67.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$14.9K ¥2.3M

11.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$52.3 ¥8,153

77.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$36.53 ¥5,699

12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$63.4 ¥9,888

75.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$101 ¥15.8K

23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$534 ¥83.3K

219.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$312 ¥48.7K

312.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$894 ¥139.4K

187.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$726 ¥113.2K

167.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,717 ¥579.9K

105.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,847 ¥288.2K

179.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,816 ¥595.5K

-38.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.66

90.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $534 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $32.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $389, 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 90% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,301 including rent). Wakayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $534 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $597 in Wakayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,301 in Wakayama versus $2,476 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 90% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.