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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,388 in Suwon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,116 in Suwon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,844 in Suwon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 70% more expensive than in Suwon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Suwon 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$7.30 ₩10.5K

134.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$29.55 ₩42.7K

130.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$5.12 ₩7,396

166.41%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$3.42 ₩4,932

-18.71%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$1.51 ₩2,178

86.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.73 ₩1,060

168.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$3.71 ₩5,357

19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$4.36 ₩6,295

5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.22 ₩3,200

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.17 ₩3,127

-1.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$3.13 ₩4,516

-36.42%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.46 ₩3,545

36.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$11.07 ₩16.0K

71.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$10.67 ₩15.4K

-10.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$11.95 ₩17.3K

56.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$5.64 ₩8,142

-53.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.87 ₩4,137

-18.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$5.29 ₩7,638

-60.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.53 ₩3,652

7.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$3.82 ₩5,515

-48.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.35 ₩3,386

-22.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.51 ₩3,623

-39.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.89 ₩1,285

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$3.28 ₩4,735

106.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$12.38 ₩17.9K

-36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.07 ₩2,993

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.22 ₩3,200

8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.17 ₩1,685

148.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$47.16 ₩68.1K

-39.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.85 ₩4,113

60.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.54 ₩777

277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$8.50 ₩12.3K

237.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.25 ₩1,811

45.60%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$27.6K ₩39.8M

42.57%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$14.0K ₩20.1M

132.76%

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

$187 €163

$162 ₩233.8K

15.23%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$35.24 ₩50.9K

-36.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$22.37 ₩32.3K

62.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$46.27 ₩66.8K

24.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$14.64 ₩21.1K

41.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$11.11 ₩16.0K

-3.06%

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

$725 €632

$411 ₩592.6K

76.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$23.4K ₩33.8M

-35.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$35.22 ₩50.8K

149.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$47.31 ₩68.3K

-22.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$79.0 ₩114.1K

30.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$27.76 ₩40.1K

327.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$447 ₩645.8K

240.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$443 ₩639.9K

176.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$919 ₩1.3M

196.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$883 ₩1.3M

124.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$11.4K ₩16.5M

-34.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$6,521 ₩9.4M

-19.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$2,262 ₩3.3M

5.76%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Suwon: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $447 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Suwon. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 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 70% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,388 including rent). Suwon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $447 in Suwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $411 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 $1,388 in Suwon versus $2,359 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 70% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.