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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,444 in Ulsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,188 in Ulsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,932 in Ulsan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 64% more expensive than Ulsan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Ulsan 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$6.46 ₩9,791

172.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$29.90 ₩45.3K

128.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.83 ₩7,313

191.10%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.15 ₩4,766

-11.75%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.12 ₩1,691

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.39 ₩591

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.60 ₩3,935

71.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.29 ₩4,984

40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.74 ₩2,640

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.19 ₩3,315

-7.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.79 ₩2,717

7.26%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.88 ₩4,362

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.55 ₩16.0K

74.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.30 ₩12.6K

14.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$27.12 ₩41.1K

-29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$7.16 ₩10.8K

-63.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.28 ₩4,975

-25.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$7.29 ₩11.0K

-70.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.43 ₩6,712

-35.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.74 ₩5,662

-45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.47 ₩3,738

-25.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.08 ₩3,151

-29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.90 ₩1,365

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.32 ₩5,032

115.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$16.65 ₩25.2K

-52.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.69 ₩2,560

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.47 ₩5,260

-33.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.94 ₩1,418

217.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.40 ₩3,630

91.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.79 ₩1,191

162.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$16.48 ₩25.0K

77.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.18 ₩1,785

55.93%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.6K ₩41.9M

41.19%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.2K ₩38.2M

29.75%

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

$188 €162

$187 ₩283.3K

0.47%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$50.3 ₩76.2K

-54.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$27.92 ₩42.3K

31.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$59.4 ₩90.0K

-3.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$10.27 ₩15.6K

8.96%

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

$721 €620

$252 ₩382.6K

185.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$13.9K ₩21.0M

8.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$102 ₩154.3K

-15.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$47.53 ₩72.0K

-22.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$87.0 ₩131.7K

17.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$115 ₩174.9K

0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$275 ₩416.9K

457.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$371 ₩562.0K

229.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,055 ₩1.6M

155.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$764 ₩1.2M

163.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,918 ₩5.9M

84.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,353 ₩3.6M

120.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,022 ₩3.1M

16.70%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $275 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 17% 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 Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $403, 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 64% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,444 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 17% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $275 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $252 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,444 in Ulsan versus $2,367 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 64% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.