Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yokohama Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yokohama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,422 in Yokohama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,170 in Yokohama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,918 in Yokohama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 65% more expensive than Yokohama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Yokohama 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.88 ¥1,102

155.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$41.10 ¥6,579

67.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.42 ¥868

153.69%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.14 ¥502

-12.10%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.15 ¥184

141.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.75 ¥120

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.09 ¥335

120.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.05 ¥488

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.56 ¥250

-17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.69 ¥271

24.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$4.95 ¥792

-60.20%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.29 ¥366

50.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.97 ¥1,596

88.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.35 ¥1,016

48.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$15.45 ¥2,473

23.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$6.18 ¥990

-55.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$3.14 ¥502

-24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$3.99 ¥638

-47.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$6.05 ¥969

-54.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.35 ¥536

-41.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$4.29 ¥687

-58.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.34 ¥214

12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.89 ¥143

1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.15 ¥664

62.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.31 ¥1,010

19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.83 ¥293

-21.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.05 ¥329

17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.56 ¥249

94.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$55.8 ¥8,938

-49.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.56 ¥570

24.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.64 ¥423

-22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$22.08 ¥3,534

32.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.23 ¥198

53.66%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$23.2K ¥3.7M

67.28%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$18.5K ¥3.0M

74.65%

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

$189 €161

$145 ¥23.2K

30.24%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$27.62 ¥4,421

-19.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$34.00 ¥5,444

8.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$55.1 ¥8,814

5.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$13.91 ¥2,227

50.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$13.52 ¥2,164

-18.27%

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

$726 €622

$285 ¥45.7K

154.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

11.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$41.28 ¥6,608

113.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$29.93 ¥4,791

23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$60.6 ¥9,696

69.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$113 ¥18.1K

5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$829 ¥132.7K

84.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$484 ¥77.5K

151.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,277 ¥204.5K

118.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$866 ¥138.6K

134.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$6,106 ¥977.4K

16.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$4,173 ¥668.1K

16.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,623 ¥419.9K

-8.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.05

65.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $829 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 9% 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 $41.00 in Yokohama. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $326, 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 Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yokohama differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,422 including rent). Yokohama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Yokohama earns 9% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $829 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $285 in Yokohama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,422 in Yokohama versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yokohama but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yokohama 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 Yokohama 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 Yokohama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.