Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Daejeon Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Daejeon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,304 in Daejeon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,073 in Daejeon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,843 in Daejeon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 81% more expensive than Daejeon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Daejeon is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$7.29 ₩11.0K

141.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$36.19 ₩54.8K

89.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.56 ₩8,418

152.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.57 ₩5,408

-22.13%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.50 ₩2,267

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.84 ₩1,270

145.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.25 ₩4,926

37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$5.00 ₩7,580

-7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.16 ₩3,268

-42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.67 ₩4,051

-23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.61 ₩3,956

-26.44%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.55 ₩3,859

29.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.55 ₩16.0K

74.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.99 ₩12.1K

18.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$20.62 ₩31.3K

-7.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$8.43 ₩12.8K

-68.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.23 ₩4,897

-24.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$5.75 ₩8,716

-63.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.21 ₩7,892

-45.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$5.21 ₩7,888

-60.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.68 ₩4,059

-30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.99 ₩3,013

-26.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.17 ₩1,774

-28.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.33 ₩5,044

114.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$16.66 ₩25.3K

-52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.71 ₩2,586

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.50 ₩5,303

-34.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.11 ₩1,689

168.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$11.06 ₩16.8K

164.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.75 ₩4,161

67.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.83 ₩1,260

149.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$16.49 ₩25.0K

76.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.21 ₩1,840

52.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.1K ₩42.6M

38.84%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$10.9K ₩16.4M

201.32%

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

$188 €162

$172 ₩260.8K

9.12%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$43.90 ₩66.5K

-47.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$24.69 ₩37.4K

48.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$30.15 ₩45.7K

90.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$22.24 ₩33.7K

-6.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.17 ₩16.9K

0.18%

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

$721 €620

$287 ₩434.8K

151.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$35.4K ₩53.7M

-57.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$62.4 ₩94.5K

38.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$40.25 ₩61.0K

-7.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$88.6 ₩134.2K

15.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$103 ₩156.0K

12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$368 ₩557.3K

317.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$318 ₩481.6K

283.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$917 ₩1.4M

193.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$606 ₩917.6K

232.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,941 ₩7.5M

46.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,930 ₩6.0M

32.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,115 ₩3.2M

11.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.77

-10.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Daejeon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $368 in Daejeon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $36.00 in Daejeon. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $405, 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

Barcelona vs Daejeon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Daejeon differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,304 including rent). Daejeon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 12% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $368 in Daejeon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $287 in Daejeon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,304 in Daejeon versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Daejeon but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Daejeon 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, Barcelona and Daejeon 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 Daejeon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.