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 $1,642 per month in Spain vs $1,243 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,393 per month in Spain vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,144 per month in Spain vs $2,639 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Spain is about 32% 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 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($1,125–$3,182) than in Japan ($1,022–$1,701), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.46 €14.42

$6.86 ¥1,114

139.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.9

$34.82 ¥5,657

66.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 €9.27

$5.57 ¥906

90.13%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €2.01

$3.25 ¥528

-29.23%

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

$2.59 €2.27

$1.09 ¥177

137.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$0.83 ¥135

126.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.98

$3.38 ¥549

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.47

$4.24 ¥689

-6.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.52 ¥247

-22.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.61 ¥261

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.40

$4.60 ¥748

-65.43%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.67

$2.21 ¥359

38.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 €12.59

$12.07 ¥1,961

19.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 €7.40

$6.73 ¥1,094

25.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.96

$19.13 ¥3,107

-16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$5.35 ¥870

-52.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.59 ¥421

-19.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$4.64 ¥754

-56.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.33

$5.00 ¥813

-46.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.93 ¥476

-37.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$2.59 ¥421

-27.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.37 ¥222

-1.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.95 ¥154

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.56

$4.09 ¥664

55.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.04

$8.80 ¥1,430

-34.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$2.11 ¥343

-38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.85

$2.83 ¥459

-25.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.50 ¥243

14.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.11 €30.75

$59.3 ¥9,636

-40.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 €4.00

$4.28 ¥695

6.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.14

$2.96 ¥482

-56.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.70 €23.39

$23.97 ¥3,895

11.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.18 ¥192

53.39%

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

$39.2K €34.4K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

69.06%

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

$30.6K €26.8K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

75.14%

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

$153 €134

$175 ¥28.5K

-12.98%

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

$20.36 €17.84

$26.45 ¥4,298

-23.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.00 €29.78

$34.77 ¥5,650

-2.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.15

$58.7 ¥9,540

-18.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 €14.13

$15.73 ¥2,555

2.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.37 €8.21

$13.02 ¥2,116

-28.03%

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

$520 €455

$347 ¥56.4K

49.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,909

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-24.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €75.3

$49.15 ¥7,986

74.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 €32.18

$32.83 ¥5,335

11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 €80.3

$62.7 ¥10.2K

46.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.9

$87.0 ¥14.1K

24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 €913

$607 ¥98.7K

71.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €730

$418 ¥68.0K

99.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 €1,466

$1,361 ¥221.1K

22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,071

$829 ¥134.8K

47.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,642

$5,522 ¥897.3K

-24.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,629 €2,303

$3,030 ¥492.4K

-13.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,965 €1,721

$1,807 ¥293.6K

8.73%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Japan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $897 in Spain vs $485 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,607 in Madrid and $1,120 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $1,989 in Spain vs $1,839 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 85% 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 58% 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 58% 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.