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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,322 in Ulsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,143 in Ulsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,964 in Ulsan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 89% more expensive than in Ulsan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Ulsan is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$7.35 ₩9,967

150.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$43.91 ₩59.5K

57.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.93 ₩8,036

138.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.35 ₩4,539

-6.57%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.86 ₩1,170

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.46 ₩621

326.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$2.95 ₩4,000

35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$4.19 ₩5,679

13.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.23 ₩3,022

-43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.17 ₩4,303

-31.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.13 ₩4,239

-46.01%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.67 ₩3,625

84.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$10.88 ₩14.7K

64.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$10.20 ₩13.8K

-5.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$24.79 ₩33.6K

-21.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$10.87 ₩14.7K

-70.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$3.54 ₩4,798

-38.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$7.72 ₩10.5K

-65.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$5.95 ₩8,066

-53.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$5.95 ₩8,071

-62.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$3.31 ₩4,486

-33.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.70 ₩3,655

-43.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.24 ₩1,684

-25.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$3.18 ₩4,309

123.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$18.38 ₩24.9K

-55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.40 ₩3,260

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.45 ₩4,680

-19.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.13 ₩1,527

178.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.92 ₩3,953

11.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.76 ₩1,026

97.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$16.58 ₩22.5K

110.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.32 ₩1,791

32.58%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$28.8K ₩39.0M

27.29%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$32.7K ₩44.3M

-5.41%

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

$188 €161

$193 ₩261.9K

-2.86%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$35.67 ₩48.4K

-56.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$26.37 ₩35.8K

43.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$57.6 ₩78.1K

-0.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$10.42 ₩14.1K

11.13%

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

$1,003 €862

$260 ₩352.4K

285.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$21.1K ₩28.7M

-19.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$51.1 ₩69.3K

74.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$43.29 ₩58.7K

-5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$58.0 ₩78.6K

89.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$71.8 ₩97.4K

70.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$362 ₩491.1K

361.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$233 ₩316.3K

470.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$717 ₩972.7K

261.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$650 ₩881.9K

199.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$4,368 ₩5.9M

73.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,380 ₩3.2M

125.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$2,201 ₩3.0M

9.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.22

-25.12%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $362 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 9% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $477, 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 89% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,322 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $362 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $260 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 $44.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,322 in Ulsan versus $2,495 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 89% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.