Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yokohama

For one person, living is cheaper in Yokohama: $1,340 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Yokohama, Japan
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Yokohama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Yokohama

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Yokohama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,340 in Yokohama.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Yokohama $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,054 in Yokohama.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Yokohama $2,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,768 in Yokohama.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Yokohama $2,768

Living in Barcelona is roughly 83% more expensive than in Yokohama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Yokohama is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.76
$6.45 ¥1,017
172.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$40.72 ¥6,420
65.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$5.19 ¥819
160.69%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$3.41 ¥538
-6.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$1.06 ¥166
174.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.74 ¥116
155.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$2.60 ¥409
54.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$3.09 ¥488
46.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.46 ¥230
-10.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.75 ¥277
15.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$3.59 ¥566
-48.47%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$2.03 ¥320
137.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.00
$10.26 ¥1,617
63.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$6.14 ¥968
48.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.60
$14.66 ¥2,311
33.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$5.54 ¥874
-46.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.76 ¥436
-26.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$2.96 ¥467
-8.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$4.10 ¥646
-31.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.52 ¥398
-17.06%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.58 ¥407
-19.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.30 ¥205
12.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.77 ¥121
22.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.16
$3.90 ¥616
76.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.07
$6.30 ¥994
25.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.82 ¥288
-22.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.09 ¥330
21.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$1.37 ¥217
129.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.80
$62.4 ¥9,843
-59.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$3.11 ¥491
-3.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$2.66 ¥420
-43.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.91
$20.61 ¥3,250
61.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.07 ¥168
68.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$21.6K ¥3.4M
53.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$16.1K ¥2.5M
96.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$130 ¥20.6K
38.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.40
$24.74 ¥3,901
-44.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.20
$32.65 ¥5,149
3.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.16
$48.93 ¥7,715
5.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.30
$11.78 ¥1,857
35.48%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$13.09 ¥2,064
-16.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$805 ¥127.0K
13.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$15.0K ¥2.4M
10.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.0
$61.7 ¥9,721
41.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.51
$37.72 ¥5,948
2.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$62.6 ¥9,874
68.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$102 ¥16.1K
17.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,523
$1,097 ¥172.9K
54.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$450 ¥70.9K
201.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,332
$1,796 ¥283.3K
44.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,848
$805 ¥126.9K
156.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,196
$5,778 ¥911.0K
19.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,595
$4,066 ¥641.1K
26.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Yokohama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,981
$2,669 ¥420.9K
-17.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
2.64
24.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Yokohama
$450 66.8% $906
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Yokohama
$290 10% $32
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Yokohama
$134 49.8% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Yokohama
$188 17.6% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Yokohama
$119 24.9% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Yokohama
$75 2.2% $1.6
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Yokohama
$84 74% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,097 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $41 in Yokohama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $290 per month, with Yokohama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇯🇵 Yokohama
🕒 Local time
06:43 6:43 AM
14:43 2:43 PM
8 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
3,777,491
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Yokohama 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Yokohama

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Yokohama?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,340 in Yokohama, so Yokohama is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Yokohama?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,097 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Yokohama?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $805 in Yokohama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,340 in Yokohama versus $2,453 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.
Where should families live: Barcelona or Yokohama?
For families, Yokohama is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Is Barcelona or Yokohama safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Yokohama are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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