Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pohang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pohang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,342 in Pohang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,006 in Pohang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,670 in Pohang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 73% more expensive than in Pohang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Pohang 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$5.06 ₩7,471

249.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.25 ₩26.9K

281.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$6.19 ₩9,133

128.76%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.87 ₩4,237

-2.44%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.48 ₩2,190

89.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.48 ₩708

329.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.62 ₩5,345

27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.64 ₩5,370

28.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.80 ₩2,657

-31.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.16 ₩4,660

-35.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.61 ₩3,848

-24.14%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.99 ₩4,408

16.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.33 ₩15.2K

77.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.56 ₩9,672

49.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$27.64 ₩40.8K

-30.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.19 ₩3,228

24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.22 ₩4,755

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$7.26 ₩10.7K

-71.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.50 ₩3,684

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$4.79 ₩7,061

-59.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.94 ₩4,334

-39.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.04 ₩3,016

-27.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.16 ₩1,716

-21.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.25 ₩4,791

119.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$5.77 ₩8,515

36.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.50 ₩2,206

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.45 ₩5,085

-30.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.06 ₩1,562

183.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.44 ₩3,600

78.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.85 ₩1,252

150.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$16.49 ₩24.3K

79.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.20 ₩1,776

51.67%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$27.6K ₩40.8M

37.04%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$25.1K ₩37.1M

28.79%

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

$189 €166

$106 ₩155.8K

78.97%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$51.0 ₩75.3K

-56.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$27.95 ₩41.2K

32.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$29.38 ₩43.3K

97.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$7.13 ₩10.5K

189.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.83 ₩16.0K

0.37%

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

$706 €618

$498 ₩734.1K

41.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$14.2K ₩20.9M

4.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$103 ₩152.0K

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$47.32 ₩69.8K

-22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$87.9 ₩129.7K

18.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$111 ₩163.6K

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$449 ₩662.3K

251.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$439 ₩647.3K

182.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,047 ₩1.5M

158.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$770 ₩1.1M

164.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,676 ₩3.9M

95.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,192 ₩3.2M

7.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.22

-19.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pohang: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $449 in Pohang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 8% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Pohang. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $359, 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 Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pohang differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,342 including rent). Pohang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $449 in Pohang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $498 in Pohang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pohang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,342 in Pohang versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pohang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pohang 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 Pohang 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 Pohang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.