Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yamaguchi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yamaguchi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,287 in Yamaguchi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,972 in Yamaguchi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,657 in Yamaguchi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 80% more expensive than in Yamaguchi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Yamaguchi is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.27 ¥694

313.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$34.37 ¥5,584

102.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.56 ¥904

154.68%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.18 ¥517

-11.95%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.04 ¥169

170.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.76 ¥123

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.65 ¥430

73.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.94 ¥803

-5.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.68 ¥272

-26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.67 ¥271

21.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.18 ¥680

-52.63%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.57 ¥418

35.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.18 ¥1,654

80.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.00 ¥975

63.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$21.05 ¥3,420

-9.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.17 ¥515

-13.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.40 ¥228

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.41 ¥229

47.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$5.80 ¥942

-52.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.80 ¥455

-30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$3.25 ¥528

-44.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.98 ¥160

51.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.75 ¥123

21.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.92 ¥637

81.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.34 ¥1,030

24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.99 ¥323

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.14 ¥348

11.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.67 ¥272

80.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$55.3 ¥8,985

-46.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$4.67 ¥759

-6.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.91 ¥473

-26.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$19.33 ¥3,141

53.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.20 ¥195

51.67%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

61.96%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.3K ¥3.3M

59.36%

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

$189 €166

$216 ¥35.1K

-12.43%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.09 ¥4,401

-17.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$35.57 ¥5,780

4.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$54.8 ¥8,898

5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.05 ¥2,283

47.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$13.68 ¥2,222

-20.54%

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

$706 €618

$422 ¥68.5K

67.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

9.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$43.18 ¥7,016

107.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$29.49 ¥4,792

24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$65.9 ¥10.7K

57.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$59.7 ¥9,701

99.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$477 ¥77.5K

231.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$334 ¥54.3K

270.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$882 ¥143.3K

207.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$652 ¥106.0K

212.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,333 ¥704.0K

73.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,945 ¥316.0K

169.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

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 13, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $477 in Yamaguchi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Yamaguchi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $298 per month, with Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yamaguchi differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,287 including rent). Yamaguchi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,930 in Yamaguchi 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $477 in Yamaguchi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $422 in Yamaguchi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Yamaguchi versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yamaguchi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.