Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Setagaya-ku and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Setagaya-ku: $1,183 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Setagaya-ku
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,183
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Setagaya-ku versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Setagaya-ku $1,183
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Setagaya-ku versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Setagaya-ku $1,834
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,484 in Setagaya-ku versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Setagaya-ku $2,484
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Setagaya-ku costs roughly 51% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Setagaya-ku is 12% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.12 ¥968
$17.94 €15.96
-65.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.64 ¥4,050
$68.1 €60.5
-62.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.36 ¥690
$13.28 €11.81
-67.17%
Cappuccino
$2.97 ¥470
$3.25 €2.89
-8.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 ¥165
$3.01 €2.67
-65.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ¥102
$1.87 €1.66
-65.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 ¥346
$3.85 €3.42
-43.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 ¥508
$4.48 €3.98
-28.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 ¥194
$1.29 €1.15
-4.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 ¥272
$2.04 €1.81
-15.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.64 ¥575
$1.72 €1.53
111.63%
Eggs
$1.17 ¥186
$4.77 €4.24
-75.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.40 ¥1,643
$16.77 €14.92
-37.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.11 ¥965
$8.93 €7.94
-31.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.25 ¥2,252
$19.88 €17.68
-28.32%
Apples (1kg)
$5.59 ¥883
$2.98 €2.65
87.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 ¥433
$2.03 €1.80
34.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 ¥466
$2.73 €2.43
8.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 ¥654
$2.68 €2.38
54.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.62 ¥415
$2.10 €1.87
24.76%
Onion (1kg)
$2.63 ¥416
$2.08 €1.85
26.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 ¥196
$1.45 €1.29
-14.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ¥87.7
$0.89 €0.79
-37.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.79 ¥599
$6.94 €6.17
-45.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.26 ¥989
$7.78 €6.92
-19.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 ¥287
$1.45 €1.29
24.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 ¥330
$2.57 €2.29
-18.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.46 ¥231
$2.99 €2.66
-51.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.7 ¥8,012
$25.20 €22.41
101.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 ¥510
$3.12 €2.77
3.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.66 ¥421
$1.44 €1.28
84.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.85 ¥3,294
$33.50 €29.80
-37.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ¥174
$1.79 €1.59
-38.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ¥3.4M
$34.6K €30.8K
-38.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K ¥2.9M
$30.1K €26.7K
-38.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 ¥20.6K
$178 €158
-26.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.82 ¥3,764
$13.32 €11.85
78.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.73 ¥5,013
$34.88 €31.03
-9.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.0 ¥8,691
$53.3 €47.37
3.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.01 €14.24
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.52 ¥1,820
$11.06 €9.84
4.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$636 ¥100.5K
$957 €851
-33.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.7K ¥2.3M
$16.6K €14.7K
-11.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.3 ¥9,846
$88.2 €78.4
-29.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.37 ¥5,747
$39.49 €35.12
-7.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.1 ¥9,814
$103 €91.5
-39.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 ¥16.2K
$121 €108
-15.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$534 ¥84.4K
$1,653 €1,470
-67.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$325 ¥51.4K
$1,302 €1,158
-75.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,152 ¥182.0K
$2,557 €2,275
-54.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 ¥106.4K
$1,915 €1,703
-64.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,724 ¥588.4K
$7,286 €6,481
-48.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,635 ¥258.4K
$5,080 €4,519
-67.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Setagaya-ku
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,281 €2,029
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2
3.28
-39.02%

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

Last update for Setagaya-ku: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Setagaya-ku
$325
Barcelona
$1.3K 300% $977
Groceries & Markets
Setagaya-ku
$281
Barcelona
$320 14% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Setagaya-ku
$186
Barcelona
$226 21.4% $40
Eating Out
Setagaya-ku
$122
Barcelona
$270 122% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Setagaya-ku
$118
Barcelona
$158 33.8% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Setagaya-ku
$78
Barcelona
$75 3.4% $2.7
Getting Around
Setagaya-ku
$73
Barcelona
$47 35.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Setagaya-ku and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Setagaya-ku vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $320 per month, with Setagaya-ku cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Setagaya-ku
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
23:47 11:47 PM
16:47 4:47 PM
7 h behind Setagaya-ku
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
943,664
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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Setagaya-ku Barcelona 10,420 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Setagaya-ku
  • 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
Setagaya-ku vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Setagaya-ku and in Barcelona?
Setagaya-ku and Barcelona differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($1,183 vs $2,399 including rent). Setagaya-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Setagaya-ku compared to Barcelona?
You'd need roughly $1,775 in Setagaya-ku and $3,599 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 Setagaya-ku and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $534 in Setagaya-ku versus $1,653 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 Setagaya-ku and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $636 in Setagaya-ku versus $957 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 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,183 in Setagaya-ku versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setagaya-ku but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Setagaya-ku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Setagaya-ku 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: Setagaya-ku or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Setagaya-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Setagaya-ku vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?