Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jeju Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jeju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,334 in Jeju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,290 in Jeju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,246 in Jeju.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Jeju 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.71 ₩10.3K

162.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$51.2 ₩78.4K

33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.04 ₩6,192

248.02%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.21 ₩7,986

-46.64%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.42 ₩3,701

15.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.72 ₩1,099

186.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.98 ₩6,101

12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.71 ₩8,755

-19.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.14 ₩3,284

-42.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.25 ₩3,443

-9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.23 ₩3,417

-13.90%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.61 ₩3,997

26.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.53 ₩16.1K

75.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.47 ₩13.0K

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$27.80 ₩42.6K

-31.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$7.66 ₩11.7K

-65.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.12 ₩4,787

-21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$5.68 ₩8,696

-62.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.35 ₩8,200

-46.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.02 ₩4,627

-32.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.89 ₩2,897

-2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.17 ₩3,329

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.46 ₩702

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.25 ₩4,981

119.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$16.99 ₩26.0K

-53.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.90 ₩2,914

-27.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.61 ₩2,469

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.86 ₩1,319

246.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.53 ₩3,883

81.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.53 ₩809

290.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$8.57 ₩13.1K

240.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.26 ₩1,934

46.03%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.0K ₩42.9M

39.31%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$24.8K ₩38.0M

31.96%

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

$188 €162

$159 ₩243.6K

18.13%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$34.67 ₩53.1K

-33.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$19.46 ₩29.8K

88.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$36.23 ₩55.5K

58.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$10.88 ₩16.7K

2.85%

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

$721 €621

$367 ₩562.6K

96.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$24.3K ₩37.2M

-38.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$51.3 ₩78.6K

68.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$29.51 ₩45.2K

25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$66.3 ₩101.6K

53.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$89.4 ₩137.0K

29.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$501 ₩767.7K

206.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$402 ₩616.0K

203.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,017 ₩1.6M

165.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,149 ₩1.8M

75.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$9,790 ₩15.0M

-26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$5,331 ₩8.2M

-2.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,672 ₩2.6M

41.11%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jeju: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $501 in Jeju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 41% 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 $51.0 in Jeju. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $401, 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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jeju differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,334 including rent). Jeju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 41% 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 $501 in Jeju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $367 in Jeju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeju – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,334 in Jeju versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju 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 Jeju 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 Jeju 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.