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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,181 in Yamaguchi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,829 in Yamaguchi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,478 in Yamaguchi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than in Yamaguchi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Yamaguchi is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.87 ¥594

375.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$32.66 ¥5,015

112.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.17 ¥794

171.76%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.34 ¥513

-6.89%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.06 ¥164

179.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.67 ¥103

191.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.95 ¥606

1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.21 ¥339

109.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.65 ¥253

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.96 ¥301

7.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$6.91 ¥1,060

-73.52%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.22 ¥342

132.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$18.30 ¥2,810

-4.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$5.64 ¥866

68.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$19.30 ¥2,963

3.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.63 ¥557

-12.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.86 ¥286

18.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.99 ¥459

-12.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.38 ¥519

-15.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.21 ¥340

-1.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.58 ¥396

-18.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.07 ¥164

51.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.93 ¥143

-5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.14 ¥635

73.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$6.44 ¥989

29.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.71 ¥263

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.90 ¥291

44.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.47 ¥226

113.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$61.9 ¥9,500

-57.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$4.12 ¥633

-21.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.09 ¥321

-27.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$18.38 ¥2,823

91.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.13 ¥174

54.87%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

66.58%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$18.0K ¥2.8M

76.27%

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

$187 €161

$190 ¥29.1K

-1.33%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$25.04 ¥3,845

-39.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$33.96 ¥5,215

10.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$48.10 ¥7,385

15.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$11.28 ¥1,732

3.81%

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

$1,011 €871

$130 ¥20.0K

677.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$12.5K ¥1.9M

36.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$38.96 ¥5,983

134.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$24.04 ¥3,692

70.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$60.9 ¥9,353

81.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$49.32 ¥7,573

155.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$429 ¥65.8K

297.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$262 ¥40.2K

396.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$802 ¥123.2K

222.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$574 ¥88.1K

236.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$4,646 ¥713.4K

66.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$1,992 ¥305.9K

170.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.85

70.81%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $429 in Yamaguchi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Yamaguchi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $324 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,181 including rent). Yamaguchi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,771 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $429 in Yamaguchi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $130 in Yamaguchi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,181 in Yamaguchi versus $2,482 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 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.