Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Japan Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Spain vs $1,189 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,494 per month in Spain vs $1,873 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,299 per month in Spain vs $2,557 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Spain is about 42% higher than in Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Spain sits 23% above the global median, while Japan is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($980–$2,739) than in Japan ($757–$1,653), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €14.79

$6.12 ¥956

180.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.29

$30.69 ¥4,794

86.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.94

$4.90 ¥765

135.71%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.09

$3.20 ¥499

-24.06%

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

$2.61 €2.25

$1.17 ¥182

123.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.61

$0.78 ¥122

139.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €2.99

$3.11 ¥486

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.42

$3.66 ¥571

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.48 ¥231

-14.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.51 ¥236

0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$4.82 ¥752

-65.56%

Eggs

$3.43 €2.96

$2.09 ¥327

64.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 €12.70

$11.74 ¥1,835

25.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 €7.56

$6.40 ¥1,000

37.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 €14.43

$17.67 ¥2,761

-5.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$4.76 ¥743

-45.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.37 ¥371

-10.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$4.28 ¥669

-50.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.36 ¥680

-38.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.73 ¥427

-30.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.62 ¥409

-23.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.25 ¥196

8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.90 ¥140

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.96 ¥619

66.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$8.50 ¥1,328

-33.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.97 ¥308

-33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.56 ¥400

-16.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.40 ¥219

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.28 €30.36

$55.3 ¥8,643

-36.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.95

$3.54 ¥553

29.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.32

$3.11 ¥486

-50.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.69 €22.10

$19.69 ¥3,075

30.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.09 ¥171

64.22%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

70.84%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$16.2K ¥2.5M

91.12%

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

$151 €130

$158 ¥24.6K

-4.21%

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

$17.98 €15.47

$24.79 ¥3,873

-27.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.12 €28.50

$32.46 ¥5,071

2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.74 €40.22

$52.8 ¥8,253

-11.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 €13.72

$17.71 ¥2,767

-9.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.69

$12.61 ¥1,970

-19.90%

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

$561 €483

$562 ¥87.7K

-0.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,540

$11.6K ¥1.8M

-4.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 €74.7

$45.40 ¥7,092

91.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 €32.33

$28.46 ¥4,447

32.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €78.7

$60.6 ¥9,467

50.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.9

$77.8 ¥12.2K

40.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €900

$573 ¥89.5K

82.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €710

$379 ¥59.2K

117.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 €1,408

$1,338 ¥209.0K

22.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 €1,090

$752 ¥117.5K

68.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,290 €3,692

$5,535 ¥864.8K

-22.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,675 €2,302

$2,846 ¥444.6K

-6.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,046 €1,761

$2,055 ¥321.0K

-0.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

2.05

60.49%

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

Last update for Spain: August 29, 2026

Last update for Japan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $927 in Spain vs $490 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Madrid and $1,230 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $2,039 in Spain vs $1,876 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 89% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 79% more in Spain.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in Japan.

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

Spain vs Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Japan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 54% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Spain, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Spain consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Japan, contributing to the overall 54% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Japan, but in Spain it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Japan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.