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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,329 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,097 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,866 in Wakayama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 81% more expensive than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Wakayama 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$6.95 ¥1,121

154.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$34.09 ¥5,498

105.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$6.25 ¥1,008

118.56%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$2.98 ¥480

-8.05%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$1.16 ¥188

140.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.70 ¥114

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$3.48 ¥561

25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.05 ¥331

123.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.68 ¥271

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.71 ¥276

19.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$5.03 ¥812

-60.64%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$2.56 ¥412

32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$17.52 ¥2,826

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$7.74 ¥1,248

23.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$15.50 ¥2,500

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$8.90 ¥1,436

-69.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.91 ¥470

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$4.99 ¥805

-57.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$9.82 ¥1,584

-71.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$3.91 ¥630

-48.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.60 ¥419

-28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.32 ¥213

14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.44 ¥232

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$3.57 ¥576

97.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$9.25 ¥1,493

-13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.77 ¥446

-48.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.29 ¥370

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$1.65 ¥266

74.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$56.2 ¥9,068

-49.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$3.39 ¥547

29.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.96 ¥478

-27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$17.66 ¥2,848

65.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.24 ¥200

50.00%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

65.86%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$17.1K ¥2.8M

91.70%

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

$189 €165

$139 ¥22.4K

36.46%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$26.96 ¥4,348

-15.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$34.12 ¥5,503

7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$54.9 ¥8,860

4.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$14.04 ¥2,264

52.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$12.68 ¥2,044

-14.75%

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

$726 €634

$473 ¥76.2K

53.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$11.5K ¥1.9M

30.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$46.77 ¥7,543

87.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$32.44 ¥5,232

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$56.6 ¥9,135

82.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$91.3 ¥14.7K

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$475 ¥76.6K

231.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$324 ¥52.3K

276.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$875 ¥141.1K

209.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$654 ¥105.4K

200.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$4,013 ¥647.2K

94.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$2,382 ¥384.1K

121.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$3,899 ¥628.8K

-39.09%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $475 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $409, 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 81% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,329 including rent). Wakayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 64% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $475 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $473 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 $1,329 in Wakayama versus $2,399 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 81% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.