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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,434 in Yokohama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,171 in Yokohama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,907 in Yokohama.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Yokohama 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.02 ¥1,106

144.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$42.14 ¥6,641

61.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.62 ¥886

142.70%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.21 ¥506

-13.40%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.21 ¥191

133.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.80 ¥127

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.05 ¥323

116.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.10 ¥488

48.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.50 ¥236

-15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.70 ¥268

25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.83 ¥761

-58.80%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.30 ¥362

46.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.98 ¥1,572

89.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.41 ¥1,010

48.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$15.31 ¥2,412

22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$6.16 ¥970

-56.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.10 ¥489

-24.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.94 ¥620

-46.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$6.21 ¥979

-56.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$3.33 ¥524

-41.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$4.25 ¥669

-57.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.39 ¥219

8.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.81 ¥128

9.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.25 ¥669

59.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.08 ¥1,116

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.80 ¥284

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.12 ¥335

13.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.51 ¥238

92.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$55.6 ¥8,756

-48.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.46 ¥545

32.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.67 ¥420

-23.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$22.03 ¥3,471

30.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.20 ¥189

51.67%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

72.24%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$18.8K ¥3.0M

72.65%

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

$187 €162

$144 ¥22.7K

29.72%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$27.27 ¥4,297

-18.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$34.06 ¥5,367

6.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$56.2 ¥8,853

2.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$13.63 ¥2,148

52.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$13.86 ¥2,184

-22.29%

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

$725 €628

$284 ¥44.8K

155.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

10.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$41.73 ¥6,576

110.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$29.58 ¥4,661

24.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$61.2 ¥9,643

68.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$112 ¥17.6K

5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$839 ¥132.2K

81.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$475 ¥74.8K

158.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,290 ¥203.3K

111.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$859 ¥135.4K

130.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$6,141 ¥967.6K

21.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$4,365 ¥687.9K

20.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,633 ¥415.0K

-9.15%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $839 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Yokohama. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 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 ($2,359 vs $1,434 including rent). Yokohama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Yokohama. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $839 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $284 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 $1,434 in Yokohama versus $2,359 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.