Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,377 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Sangju, South Korea
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Sangju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,377
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Sangju

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Sangju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $1,377 in Sangju.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Sangju $1,377

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $2,181 in Sangju.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Sangju $2,181

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $2,984 in Sangju.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Sangju $2,984

Living in Barcelona is roughly 77% more expensive than in Sangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Sangju 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.71
$6.13 ₩8,221
188.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.0
$34.02 ₩45.6K
98.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.12
$6.72 ₩9,005
102.53%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.76
$3.56 ₩4,771
-12.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$1.52 ₩2,037
97.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$0.62 ₩827
211.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.42
$3.48 ₩4,664
10.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.88
$4.40 ₩5,902
-0.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$2.18 ₩2,917
-42.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$3.05 ₩4,090
-30.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.69 ₩3,600
-26.77%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.24
$3.24 ₩4,342
46.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.19
$15.65 ₩21.0K
9.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.97
$10.51 ₩14.1K
-14.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.38
$10.97 ₩14.7K
88.24%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$6.91 ₩9,263
-54.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.54 ₩3,398
-22.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$4.37 ₩5,863
-39.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$7.13 ₩9,564
-59.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$3.28 ₩4,393
-37.20%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.68 ₩3,588
-18.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$2.01 ₩2,688
-23.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$1.26 ₩1,691
-23.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.20
$3.25 ₩4,355
114.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.02
$13.72 ₩18.4K
-42.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$2.34 ₩3,142
-39.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$3.66 ₩4,910
-26.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$1.02 ₩1,363
224.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.79
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$3.60 ₩4,823
-14.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$0.61 ₩815
142.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.25
$8.78 ₩11.8K
274.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.35 ₩1,810
38.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$29.0K ₩38.8M
13.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$35.8K ₩48.0M
-10.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$210 ₩282.1K
-13.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.67
$42.49 ₩57.0K
-66.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.76
$20.41 ₩27.4K
69.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.76
$48.18 ₩64.6K
6.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.58
$12.82 ₩17.2K
27.77%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.85
$11.07 ₩14.8K
-0.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €840
$303 ₩406.2K
211.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$17.4K ₩23.3M
27.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.0
$64.1 ₩86.0K
36.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.51
$63.0 ₩84.4K
-38.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.0
$75.4 ₩101.1K
38.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$99.3 ₩133.1K
18.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,510
$476 ₩638.4K
256.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,190
$344 ₩461.0K
288.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,396
$1,325 ₩1.8M
103.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,848
$816 ₩1.1M
154.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,367
$6,815 ₩9.1M
4.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,520
$5,434 ₩7.3M
-6.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Sangju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,995
$1,470 ₩2.0M
52.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
4.1
-22.20%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sangju: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Sangju
$344 74.3% $993
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Sangju
$396 20.9% $68
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Sangju
$147 45.1% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Sangju
$273 18% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Sangju
$136 13.4% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Sangju
$70 4.4% $3.2
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Sangju
$11 * 78.3% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $476 in Sangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 52% 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $34 in Sangju. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $396, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇰🇷 Sangju
🕒 Local time
08:00 8:00 AM
16:00 4:00 PM
8 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
100,947
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,509 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Sangju 9,770 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Sangju

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Sangju?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $1,377 in Sangju, so Sangju is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Sangju?
Average pay runs 52% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Sangju?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $476 in Sangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Sangju?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $303 in Sangju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sangju – a meal for two runs $34 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Sangju?
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.
Is Barcelona or Sangju safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Sangju are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Sangju?
It comes down to priorities – Sangju wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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