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 $1,646 per month in Spain vs $1,243 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,401 per month in Spain vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,155 per month in Spain vs $2,638 in Japan, rent included.

Spain costs about 32% more than Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Spain sits 23% above the global median, while Japan is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Spain has a wider regional cost range ($1,133–$3,262) than Japan ($1,019–$1,684), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €14.03

$6.75 ¥1,082

139.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.69

$34.81 ¥5,580

64.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.21

$5.62 ¥901

88.97%

Cappuccino

$2.38 €2.07

$3.41 ¥547

-30.21%

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

$2.59 €2.25

$1.09 ¥175

137.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.84 ¥134

127.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$3.43 ¥550

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.49

$4.14 ¥663

-2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.55 ¥249

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.53 ¥245

3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.38

$4.53 ¥726

-64.90%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.65

$2.27 ¥363

34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.55 €12.62

$12.11 ¥1,942

20.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.30

$7.00 ¥1,122

20.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.47

$19.78 ¥3,170

-21.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.20

$5.35 ¥858

-52.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$2.62 ¥420

-23.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$4.67 ¥749

-55.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.20

$4.74 ¥760

-46.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$2.85 ¥457

-35.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$2.68 ¥430

-29.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.34 ¥215

0.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.95 ¥152

-22.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.51

$4.13 ¥662

53.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €4.91

$8.28 ¥1,328

-31.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$2.17 ¥348

-42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.94 ¥472

-29.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.56 ¥250

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.10 €30.45

$58.7 ¥9,412

-40.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.83

$4.25 ¥682

4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.16

$2.89 ¥463

-53.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.32 €22.83

$23.36 ¥3,745

12.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.17 ¥188

57.26%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

65.42%

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

$31.6K €27.4K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

80.38%

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

$150 €131

$175 ¥28.0K

-13.80%

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

$20.56 €17.84

$27.13 ¥4,349

-24.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.49 €29.92

$34.95 ¥5,603

-1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.60

$59.0 ¥9,452

-18.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €13.92

$15.90 ¥2,548

0.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 €7.80

$12.97 ¥2,079

-30.69%

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

$509 €441

$341 ¥54.6K

49.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,884 €8,574

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-26.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €75.0

$48.49 ¥7,773

78.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.14 €32.22

$32.95 ¥5,281

12.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €79.8

$63.1 ¥10.1K

45.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.4

$86.9 ¥13.9K

25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €907

$605 ¥96.9K

72.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €723

$418 ¥67.0K

99.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,466

$1,362 ¥218.4K

24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,074

$844 ¥135.2K

46.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,378 €3,798

$5,620 ¥900.9K

-22.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,747 €2,383

$3,060 ¥490.4K

-10.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,073 €1,799

$1,859 ¥298.0K

11.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

1.82

92.86%

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

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Last update for Japan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $898 in Spain vs $484 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,566 in Madrid and $1,094 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $2,030 in Spain vs $1,862 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 86% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 51% more in Spain.

Public transport is 64% 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 63% 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 63% 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.