Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumamoto: $1,283 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kumamoto
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,283
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kumamoto and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,283 in Kumamoto versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

  • Kumamoto $1,283
  • Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Kumamoto versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

  • Kumamoto $1,977
  • Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,670 in Kumamoto versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

  • Kumamoto $2,670
  • Barcelona $4,431

Living in Kumamoto costs roughly 46% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kumamoto is 5% below, Barcelona is 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.13 ¥1,126
$17.89 €15.92
-60.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.86 ¥5,034
$66.2 €58.9
-51.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.96 ¥942
$13.69 €12.18
-56.46%
Cappuccino
$3.22 ¥508
$3.06 €2.72
5.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 ¥166
$3.07 €2.73
-65.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ¥111
$1.94 €1.73
-63.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.74 ¥591
$3.87 €3.44
-3.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ¥357
$4.61 €4.10
-50.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 ¥215
$1.30 €1.16
4.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.90 ¥299
$2.10 €1.87
-9.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.64 ¥1,050
$1.83 €1.62
262.84%
Eggs
$1.86 ¥294
$4.62 €4.11
-59.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.81 ¥2,814
$17.36 €15.44
2.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.47 ¥865
$9.28 €8.25
-41.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.87 ¥2,981
$19.83 €17.64
-4.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.72 ¥587
$3.01 €2.68
23.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 ¥294
$2.03 €1.81
-8.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 ¥439
$2.65 €2.36
4.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 ¥530
$2.87 €2.55
17.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 ¥342
$2.16 €1.92
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.61 ¥413
$2.15 €1.91
21.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 ¥164
$1.47 €1.31
-29.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ¥143
$0.88 €0.79
3.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.94 ¥623
$6.93 €6.16
-43.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 ¥887
$7.83 €6.96
-28.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ¥268
$1.39 €1.24
22.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 ¥290
$2.63 €2.34
-30.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 ¥236
$2.91 €2.59
-48.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.5 ¥8,291
$25.46 €22.64
106.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ¥606
$3.00 €2.66
28.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 ¥317
$1.44 €1.28
38.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.05 ¥2,852
$33.20 €29.53
-45.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.86 €1.65
-43.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K ¥3.5M
$32.3K €28.8K
-31.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.6K ¥2.8M
$31.7K €28.2K
-44.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 ¥33.2K
$183 €163
15.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.28 ¥3,835
$13.61 €12.11
78.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.30 ¥5,261
$32.93 €29.29
1.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.9 ¥8,359
$54.7 €48.65
-3.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.52 €14.70
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.95 ¥1,729
$11.23 €9.99
-2.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$126 ¥20.0K
$954 €849
-86.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K ¥2.0M
$16.6K €14.8K
-25.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.56 ¥7,672
$86.0 €76.5
-43.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.99 ¥4,106
$39.11 €34.78
-33.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.3 ¥10.3K
$104 €92.2
-37.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.20 ¥7,457
$119 €106
-60.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$541 ¥85.4K
$1,695 €1,508
-68.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$328 ¥51.9K
$1,276 €1,135
-74.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,119 ¥176.8K
$2,576 €2,291
-56.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$723 ¥114.2K
$1,922 €1,710
-62.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,158 ¥656.8K
$7,281 €6,477
-42.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,735 ¥274.1K
$5,010 €4,456
-65.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kumamoto
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,227 €1,981
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.97
3.28
-39.94%

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

Last update for Kumamoto: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kumamoto
$328
Barcelona
$1.3K 289% $948
Groceries & Markets
Kumamoto
$312
Barcelona
$325 4.3% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kumamoto
$268
Barcelona
$229 14.4% $39
Eating Out
Kumamoto
$144
Barcelona
$270 87.5% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Kumamoto
$84
Barcelona
$156 85.8% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Kumamoto
$75
Barcelona
$77 3.2% $2.4
Getting Around
Kumamoto
$72
Barcelona
$47 34.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Kumamoto and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kumamoto vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $325 per month, with Kumamoto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kumamoto
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
06:53 6:53 AM
23:53 11:53 PM
7 h behind Kumamoto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
738,865
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kumamoto Barcelona 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kumamoto
  • Barcelona

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
Kumamoto vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Kumamoto and in Barcelona?
Kumamoto and Barcelona differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,283 vs $2,381 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Kumamoto compared to Barcelona?
You'd need roughly $1,924 in Kumamoto and $3,571 in Barcelona 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Kumamoto and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $541 in Kumamoto versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kumamoto and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $126 in Kumamoto versus $954 in Barcelona. 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 4% 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 $1,283 in Kumamoto versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Kumamoto and Barcelona?
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.
Is Kumamoto or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Kumamoto and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Kumamoto or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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