Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gyeonggi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gyeonggi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,420 in Gyeonggi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,686 in Gyeonggi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,952 in Gyeonggi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 67% more expensive than Gyeonggi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Gyeonggi 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$7.13 ₩10.8K

146.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$82.9 ₩125.6K

-17.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.54 ₩9,917

114.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.52 ₩5,340

-21.02%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.39 ₩2,103

101.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.70 ₩1,066

194.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.37 ₩6,615

2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.98 ₩4,521

54.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.17 ₩3,293

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.05 ₩4,616

-33.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.98 ₩4,523

-35.57%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.90 ₩4,399

14.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.53 ₩16.0K

75.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.40 ₩12.7K

12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$27.07 ₩41.0K

-29.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$11.12 ₩16.8K

-76.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.68 ₩5,583

-33.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$7.38 ₩11.2K

-71.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.12 ₩7,765

-44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.87 ₩5,862

-47.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.94 ₩4,462

-37.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.24 ₩3,399

-34.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.15 ₩1,749

-26.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.23 ₩4,897

121.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.87 ₩2,840

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.36 ₩5,084

-31.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.06 ₩1,613

181.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.18 ₩4,814

44.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.57 ₩871

263.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$8.98 ₩13.6K

224.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.36 ₩2,058

35.29%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.3K ₩41.4M

42.92%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.2K ₩38.2M

29.60%

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

$188 €162

$186 ₩281.5K

1.09%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$39.84 ₩60.4K

-42.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$21.67 ₩32.8K

69.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$54.4 ₩82.3K

5.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$10.12 ₩15.3K

10.57%

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

$721 €620

$418 ₩632.9K

72.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$23.1K ₩35.0M

-34.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$59.7 ₩90.5K

44.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$40.44 ₩61.3K

-8.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.4 ₩129.4K

19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$115 ₩173.7K

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$510 ₩773.4K

200.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$367 ₩555.4K

232.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,057 ₩3.1M

31.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,519 ₩2.3M

32.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,043 ₩3.1M

15.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.5

-3.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gyeonggi: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $510 in Gyeonggi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 15% 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 $83.0 in Gyeonggi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $420 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gyeonggi differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,420 including rent). Gyeonggi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 15% 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 $510 in Gyeonggi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $418 in Gyeonggi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gyeonggi – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,420 in Gyeonggi versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeonggi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.