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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,445 in Yokohama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,163 in Yokohama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,881 in Yokohama.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 66% more expensive than Yokohama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Yokohama 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$6.85 ¥1,099

158.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$41.31 ¥6,626

69.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$5.64 ¥904

142.20%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$3.20 ¥514

-14.37%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.20 ¥193

132.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.80 ¥128

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.13 ¥341

104.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$3.13 ¥502

46.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.56 ¥251

-17.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.73 ¥278

18.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$5.01 ¥804

-60.48%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.19 ¥351

54.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$10.16 ¥1,630

83.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$6.18 ¥991

54.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.29 ¥2,453

23.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$5.87 ¥942

-53.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$3.19 ¥512

-22.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$4.00 ¥642

-47.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$6.05 ¥971

-53.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$3.37 ¥541

-40.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$4.22 ¥677

-56.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.40 ¥224

7.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.89 ¥142

1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$4.06 ¥651

73.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$6.30 ¥1,011

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.81 ¥290

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.11 ¥338

8.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.51 ¥242

90.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$56.3 ¥9,037

-49.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.53 ¥567

24.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.77 ¥445

-22.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$21.85 ¥3,505

33.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.18 ¥189

57.63%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

66.22%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$18.7K ¥3.0M

74.43%

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

$189 €163

$142 ¥22.8K

33.10%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$27.99 ¥4,490

-18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$33.70 ¥5,406

8.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$54.7 ¥8,771

5.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$14.14 ¥2,269

51.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$13.44 ¥2,155

-19.57%

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

$726 €625

$283 ¥45.4K

156.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$13.9K ¥2.2M

8.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$42.28 ¥6,783

107.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$28.94 ¥4,642

27.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$59.9 ¥9,605

72.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$110 ¥17.7K

5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$819 ¥131.4K

92.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$476 ¥76.4K

156.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,246 ¥199.9K

117.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$834 ¥133.8K

135.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$6,197 ¥994.1K

26.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$4,376 ¥701.9K

20.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$2,657 ¥426.2K

-10.62%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $819 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 12% 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 $41.00 in Yokohama. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $324, 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 66% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,445 including rent). Yokohama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Yokohama earns 12% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $819 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $283 in Yokohama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,445 in Yokohama versus $2,399 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 66% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.