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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,649 in Seongnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,441 in Seongnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,232 in Seongnam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 43% more expensive than Seongnam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Seongnam 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$5.81 ₩8,803

202.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$41.97 ₩63.6K

63.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.30 ₩6,514

226.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.83 ₩5,805

-27.42%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.57 ₩2,381

78.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.85 ₩1,291

142.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.53 ₩3,841

76.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.77 ₩5,709

22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.14 ₩3,236

-42.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.10 ₩3,179

-3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.14 ₩4,761

-38.85%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.09 ₩4,676

7.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.41 ₩14.3K

95.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$7.60 ₩11.5K

24.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$33.71 ₩51.1K

-43.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$7.89 ₩12.0K

-66.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.51 ₩5,316

-30.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$5.63 ₩8,526

-62.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.46 ₩9,784

-55.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.40 ₩5,155

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.94 ₩4,448

-37.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.63 ₩3,990

-44.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.03 ₩1,558

-18.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.37 ₩5,110

111.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$16.79 ₩25.4K

-53.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.82 ₩2,758

-24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.81 ₩2,740

27.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.04 ₩1,578

186.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.46 ₩5,236

32.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.54 ₩811

283.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$8.79 ₩13.3K

231.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.24 ₩1,875

48.39%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.8K ₩42.1M

40.39%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$24.7K ₩37.4M

32.59%

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

$188 €162

$162 ₩244.8K

16.28%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$34.98 ₩53.0K

-34.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$21.83 ₩33.1K

68.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$47.85 ₩72.5K

19.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$11.19 ₩17.0K

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

$721 €620

$411 ₩622.7K

75.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$23.5K ₩35.5M

-35.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$58.3 ₩88.4K

47.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$46.71 ₩70.8K

-20.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$80.5 ₩122.0K

26.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$119 ₩179.6K

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$448 ₩679.3K

242.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$665 ₩1.0M

83.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,066 ₩1.6M

152.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,010 ₩1.5M

99.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$13.8K ₩20.9M

-47.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$5,876 ₩8.9M

-11.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$4,338 ₩6.6M

-45.61%

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 Seongnam: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $448 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seongnam pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Seongnam. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $435, 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 43% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,649 including rent). Seongnam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Seongnam earns 84% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $448 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $411 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,649 in Seongnam versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 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 43% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.