Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Seongnam Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Seongnam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,382 in Seongnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,320 in Seongnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,258 in Seongnam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 80% more expensive than in Seongnam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Seongnam 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$6.81 ₩9,131

170.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$41.54 ₩55.7K

67.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$6.72 ₩9,014

109.08%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.09 ₩5,488

-23.96%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.59 ₩2,137

86.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.78 ₩1,042

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.51 ₩4,709

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.66 ₩4,911

26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.20 ₩2,949

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.16 ₩4,244

-33.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.59 ₩4,813

-49.03%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.46 ₩4,638

49.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$9.42 ₩12.6K

86.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$7.95 ₩10.7K

19.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$21.54 ₩28.9K

-7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$7.79 ₩10.5K

-59.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$3.39 ₩4,545

-34.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$5.84 ₩7,832

-55.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$7.01 ₩9,397

-59.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$3.73 ₩5,000

-41.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.50 ₩3,348

-15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.78 ₩3,733

-41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.33 ₩1,783

-33.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.25 ₩4,355

120.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$18.71 ₩25.1K

-55.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.06 ₩2,762

-27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.83 ₩2,450

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.05 ₩1,407

199.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.65 ₩4,895

-11.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.61 ₩820

147.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$8.76 ₩11.8K

302.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.38 ₩1,854

26.81%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$29.6K ₩39.6M

24.04%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$27.9K ₩37.5M

13.33%

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

$187 €161

$206 ₩276.0K

-9.09%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$37.11 ₩49.8K

-59.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$20.28 ₩27.2K

85.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$56.3 ₩75.5K

-1.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$11.10 ₩14.9K

50.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$11.10 ₩14.9K

5.50%

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

$1,011 €871

$579 ₩775.9K

74.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$17.7K ₩23.8M

-3.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$56.6 ₩75.9K

61.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$32.50 ₩43.6K

26.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$69.8 ₩93.6K

58.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$80.9 ₩108.5K

55.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$452 ₩605.8K

277.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$346 ₩463.6K

275.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,178 ₩1.6M

119.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,042 ₩1.4M

85.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$7,184 ₩9.6M

7.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$5,370 ₩7.2M

0.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.08

-22.55%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $452 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Seongnam. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $427, 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 Seongnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Seongnam differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,382 including rent). Seongnam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $2,072 in Seongnam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $452 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $579 in Seongnam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seongnam – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,382 in Seongnam versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seongnam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Seongnam 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 Seongnam 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 Seongnam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.