Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulsan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ulsan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,428 in Ulsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,216 in Ulsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,004 in Ulsan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 63% more expensive than in Ulsan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ulsan 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.75 ₩9,952

161.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$29.58 ₩43.6K

135.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.77 ₩7,041

196.86%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.06 ₩4,511

-8.50%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.12 ₩1,651

150.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.38 ₩562

442.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.62 ₩3,866

75.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.33 ₩4,911

40.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.75 ₩2,578

-29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.25 ₩3,313

-9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.80 ₩2,651

10.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.99 ₩4,417

16.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.35 ₩15.3K

77.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.31 ₩12.3K

18.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$27.98 ₩41.3K

-31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$7.10 ₩10.5K

-61.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.12 ₩4,610

-23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$7.42 ₩10.9K

-71.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.53 ₩6,690

-39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.59 ₩5,295

-45.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.39 ₩3,531

-25.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.03 ₩2,998

-27.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.87 ₩1,282

4.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.34 ₩4,922

113.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$16.64 ₩24.6K

-52.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.69 ₩2,490

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.38 ₩4,988

-29.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.93 ₩1,373

223.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.47 ₩3,641

76.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.84 ₩1,234

153.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$16.48 ₩24.3K

79.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.22 ₩1,801

49.18%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$27.6K ₩40.8M

37.11%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$24.8K ₩36.5M

30.75%

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

$189 €166

$193 ₩284.8K

-2.09%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$50.1 ₩73.9K

-55.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$28.02 ₩41.3K

32.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$60.0 ₩88.4K

-3.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.40 ₩15.3K

4.52%

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

$706 €618

$262 ₩386.1K

169.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$14.0K ₩20.7M

5.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$101 ₩149.1K

-11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$47.02 ₩69.4K

-22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$89.3 ₩131.8K

16.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$115 ₩170.2K

3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$277 ₩408.8K

469.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$370 ₩546.3K

234.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,051 ₩1.6M

158.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$760 ₩1.1M

168.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,065 ₩6.0M

85.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,374 ₩3.5M

120.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,011 ₩3.0M

17.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $277 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 18% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $30.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $405, 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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ulsan differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,428 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $277 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $262 in Ulsan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulsan – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,428 in Ulsan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ulsan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ulsan 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 Ulsan 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 Ulsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.