Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiso and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiso and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in Shiso versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,996 in Shiso versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,887 in Shiso versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Shiso costs roughly 53% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shiso is 17% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.17 ¥1,306

$17.58 €15.14

-53.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 ¥10.8K

$68.4 €58.9

-1.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 ¥1,024

$14.06 €12.10

-54.48%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ¥579

$2.78 €2.39

30.22%

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

$0.86 ¥137

$2.80 €2.41

-69.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥112

$2.06 €1.78

-66.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ¥409

$4.46 €3.84

-42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ¥503

$4.61 €3.97

-31.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥256

$1.24 €1.07

29.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 ¥475

$2.03 €1.75

46.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 ¥774

$1.92 €1.65

152.08%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥356

$3.31 €2.85

-32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 ¥1,635

$18.43 €15.87

-44.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ¥997

$9.49 €8.17

-34.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.03 ¥4,324

$19.16 €16.50

41.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 ¥857

$2.64 €2.27

103.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 ¥420

$2.45 €2.11

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 ¥632

$2.12 €1.83

86.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 ¥968

$2.85 €2.45

112.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.48 ¥717

$2.04 €1.75

119.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ¥415

$1.85 €1.59

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ¥212

$1.47 €1.27

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥134

$0.84 €0.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ¥684

$7.14 €6.15

-40.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.40 ¥1,184

$7.88 €6.79

-6.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥298

$1.38 €1.19

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥361

$2.31 €1.99

-2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥215

$2.98 €2.57

-55.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.38 ¥5,340

$29.26 €25.20

14.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ¥560

$4.60 €3.96

-23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥463

$2.07 €1.78

39.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.17 ¥3,385

$29.18 €25.13

-27.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥196

$1.84 €1.58

-33.70%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$39.0K €33.6K

-39.51%

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

$17.1K ¥2.7M

$32.7K €28.2K

-47.74%

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

$145 ¥23.2K

$188 €162

-22.90%

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

$67.3 ¥10.8K

$22.93 €19.75

193.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.41 ¥2,145

$36.71 €31.61

-63.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.17 ¥5,945

$57.4 €49.41

-35.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.73 ¥2,196

$20.70 €17.82

-33.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 ¥732

$11.19 €9.64

-59.16%

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

$279 ¥44.5K

$721 €621

-61.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$15.0K €13.0K

-11.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.82 ¥1,571

$86.2 €74.2

-88.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ¥4,621

$37.07 €31.92

-22.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.14 ¥5,300

$102 €87.9

-67.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ¥16.1K

$116 €99.8

-13.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥73.4K

$1,534 €1,321

-70.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ¥26.8K

$1,220 €1,051

-86.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 ¥141.0K

$2,696 €2,321

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ¥106.9K

$2,013 €1,734

-66.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 ¥673.6K

$7,220 €6,217

-41.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,988 ¥318.0K

$5,189 €4,468

-61.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

3.39

-47.49%

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

Last update for Shiso: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Shiso and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Shiso vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $318, 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

Shiso vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiso and Barcelona differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($1,106 vs $2,367 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,658 in Shiso and $3,550 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $459 in Shiso versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Shiso versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,106 in Shiso versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiso but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Shiso 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, Shiso 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.

Expats usually find Shiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.