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: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $1,377 in Ilsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $2,187 in Ilsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $2,998 in Ilsan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 77% more expensive than in Ilsan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Ilsan 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$6.90 ₩9,591

172.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$64.3 ₩89.4K

8.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$6.87 ₩9,547

104.95%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$4.13 ₩5,736

-24.46%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$1.57 ₩2,185

85.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.70 ₩970

167.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.55 ₩4,931

12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$5.63 ₩7,823

-17.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.99 ₩2,767

-40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$2.99 ₩4,151

-28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.19 ₩3,040

-15.98%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$3.06 ₩4,250

67.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$14.55 ₩20.2K

12.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$7.27 ₩10.1K

33.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$10.38 ₩14.4K

89.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$7.14 ₩9,926

-56.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$3.13 ₩4,357

-30.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$5.52 ₩7,667

-55.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$6.21 ₩8,626

-55.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.26 ₩4,532

-34.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$2.35 ₩3,270

-5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.89 ₩2,629

-21.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.05 ₩1,453

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$3.10 ₩4,307

134.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$17.96 ₩25.0K

-53.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.18 ₩3,034

-29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.74 ₩3,805

-2.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$1.04 ₩1,449

195.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

$45.98 ₩63.9K

-43.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$3.44 ₩4,787

-2.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$0.61 ₩847

208.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$8.45 ₩11.7K

313.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.30 ₩1,804

33.85%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$28.3K ₩39.4M

28.94%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$27.0K ₩37.5M

16.77%

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

$183 €156

$199 ₩276.9K

-8.21%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$33.78 ₩47.0K

-53.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$18.82 ₩26.2K

95.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$52.6 ₩73.1K

1.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$11.17 ₩15.5K

53.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$10.43 ₩14.5K

10.35%

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

$952 €815

$551 ₩765.6K

72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$16.8K ₩23.3M

-3.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$53.6 ₩74.5K

53.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$31.12 ₩43.3K

30.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$67.3 ₩93.5K

60.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$79.2 ₩110.0K

58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$431 ₩598.7K

287.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$341 ₩473.7K

277.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$1,097 ₩1.5M

142.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$664 ₩922.8K

186.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$7,334 ₩10.2M

2.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$5,218 ₩7.3M

-0.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

$3,229 ₩4.5M

-24.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

4.1

-23.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Ilsan: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $431 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 32% 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 $64.0 in Ilsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $376, 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 77% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $1,377 including rent). Ilsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Ilsan. 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $431 in Ilsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $551 in Ilsan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,377 in Ilsan versus $2,434 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 77% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.