Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ilsan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ilsan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,530 in Ilsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,421 in Ilsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,312 in Ilsan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 53% more expensive than Ilsan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Ilsan 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$7.49 ₩11.1K

135.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$55.7 ₩82.6K

23.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.53 ₩9,694

110.57%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.75 ₩5,555

-26.40%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.67 ₩2,475

66.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.71 ₩1,054

188.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.65 ₩5,421

26.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.76 ₩8,546

-20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.16 ₩3,198

-40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.38 ₩5,013

-37.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.10 ₩4,592

-36.45%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.19 ₩4,732

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$14.05 ₩20.8K

34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$10.75 ₩15.9K

-12.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$33.74 ₩50.0K

-43.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$7.76 ₩11.5K

-64.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$3.46 ₩5,132

-31.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$5.49 ₩8,140

-62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$6.35 ₩9,424

-56.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.82 ₩5,673

-48.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.85 ₩4,231

-37.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.64 ₩3,909

-42.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.21 ₩1,799

-25.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.34 ₩4,956

102.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$15.11 ₩22.4K

-50.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.34 ₩3,466

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.33 ₩4,933

-27.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.11 ₩1,639

172.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$46.83 ₩69.5K

-39.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.38 ₩3,533

86.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.58 ₩853

253.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$8.94 ₩13.3K

228.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.15 ₩1,706

64.35%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.3K ₩40.5M

41.95%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$25.3K ₩37.6M

27.68%

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

$189 €161

$164 ₩242.8K

15.21%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$35.01 ₩51.9K

-36.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$22.27 ₩33.0K

65.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$48.35 ₩71.7K

19.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$10.84 ₩16.1K

1.94%

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

$726 €622

$414 ₩614.5K

75.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$23.8K ₩35.2M

-35.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$58.0 ₩86.1K

52.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$47.24 ₩70.1K

-21.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$79.9 ₩118.6K

28.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$116 ₩171.4K

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$455 ₩675.3K

235.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$375 ₩556.5K

224.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,054 ₩1.6M

165.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$763 ₩1.1M

165.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$8,782 ₩13.0M

-19.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$5,189 ₩7.7M

-6.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$3,092 ₩4.6M

-22.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.14

-18.12%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ilsan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $455 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Ilsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $482, 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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ilsan differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,530 including rent). Ilsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ilsan earns 29% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $455 in Ilsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $414 in Ilsan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 51% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,530 in Ilsan versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ilsan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ilsan 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 Ilsan 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 Ilsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.