Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Suwon Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Suwon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,393 in Suwon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,096 in Suwon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,798 in Suwon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 68% more expensive than Suwon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Suwon 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.02

$7.44 ₩11.0K

136.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.6

$29.14 ₩42.9K

135.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.73

$5.07 ₩7,472

171.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$3.55 ₩5,225

-22.25%

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

$2.78 €2.37

$1.54 ₩2,274

80.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.68 ₩1,006

201.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$3.73 ₩5,497

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.91

$4.34 ₩6,391

5.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.16 ₩3,190

-40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.26 ₩3,333

-6.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.21 ₩4,734

-38.63%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.41 ₩3,546

42.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.06

$10.82 ₩15.9K

74.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.06

$10.73 ₩15.8K

-11.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.22

$12.05 ₩17.8K

57.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$5.53 ₩8,154

-50.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.78 ₩4,089

-14.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$5.23 ₩7,702

-60.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.35

$2.56 ₩3,767

7.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$4.01 ₩5,915

-50.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.24 ₩3,295

-20.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.59 ₩3,811

-41.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.76

$0.90 ₩1,320

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$3.25 ₩4,785

108.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$12.41 ₩18.3K

-39.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.04 ₩3,009

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.05

$2.16 ₩3,183

11.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.21 ₩1,782

150.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.22

$47.80 ₩70.4K

-40.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.73 ₩4,015

62.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.56 ₩828

266.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.02

$8.57 ₩12.6K

242.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.25 ₩1,835

51.20%

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

$38.7K €33.0K

$28.2K ₩41.5M

37.38%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$13.9K ₩20.4M

133.36%

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

$189 €161

$165 ₩242.5K

14.58%

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

$22.21 €18.94

$34.89 ₩51.4K

-36.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.40

$21.97 ₩32.4K

67.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.47

$45.83 ₩67.5K

26.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.91

$14.48 ₩21.3K

44.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.43

$11.22 ₩16.5K

-1.52%

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

$726 €620

$420 ₩619.1K

72.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$23.5K ₩34.6M

-35.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.3

$34.24 ₩50.4K

157.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.55

$48.28 ₩71.1K

-23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.5

$79.4 ₩116.9K

29.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$26.84 ₩39.5K

344.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,302

$444 ₩654.8K

243.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,039

$445 ₩655.9K

173.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,383

$916 ₩1.4M

204.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,729

$867 ₩1.3M

133.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,051

$10.8K ₩16.0M

-34.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,136

$6,590 ₩9.7M

-26.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,051

$2,276 ₩3.4M

5.65%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Suwon: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $444 in Suwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 6% 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: $69 in Barcelona vs $29 in Suwon. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $344, 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 Suwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Suwon differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,393 including rent). Suwon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 6% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $444 in Suwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $420 in Suwon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,393 in Suwon versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suwon but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Suwon 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 Suwon 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 Suwon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.