Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Wonju Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Wonju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,487 in Wonju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,338 in Wonju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,188 in Wonju.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than Wonju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Wonju 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$7.34 ₩10.9K

139.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$37.46 ₩55.6K

83.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.92 ₩8,781

132.26%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.17 ₩6,186

-33.81%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.89 ₩2,800

47.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.38 ₩2,040

48.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.68 ₩5,464

25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.96 ₩8,839

-22.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.27 ₩3,370

-43.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.49 ₩5,175

-39.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.12 ₩4,629

-36.86%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.90 ₩4,298

18.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$10.57 ₩15.7K

78.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$8.04 ₩11.9K

17.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$27.80 ₩41.2K

-31.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$8.33 ₩12.4K

-67.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$3.17 ₩4,703

-25.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$7.31 ₩10.8K

-71.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$5.25 ₩7,784

-47.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$5.27 ₩7,821

-62.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.89 ₩4,289

-38.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.02 ₩2,997

-25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.21 ₩1,801

-25.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.26 ₩4,831

107.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$16.87 ₩25.0K

-55.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.73 ₩2,567

-16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.33 ₩4,945

-27.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.06 ₩1,576

185.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.54 ₩5,257

25.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.79 ₩1,167

159.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$16.47 ₩24.4K

78.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.22 ₩1,811

54.92%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.9K ₩41.4M

38.83%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$24.7K ₩36.7M

30.88%

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

$189 €161

$186 ₩276.3K

1.23%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$50.3 ₩74.6K

-55.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$28.03 ₩41.6K

31.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$48.18 ₩71.5K

20.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$11.30 ₩16.8K

-2.21%

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

$726 €622

$473 ₩702.3K

53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$14.3K ₩21.2M

6.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$101 ₩149.6K

-12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$46.89 ₩69.5K

-21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$87.2 ₩129.4K

17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$118 ₩175.2K

0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$460 ₩681.8K

232.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$383 ₩568.5K

217.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,061 ₩1.6M

163.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$767 ₩1.1M

164.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$10.4K ₩15.4M

-31.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$6,555 ₩9.7M

-26.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.22

-19.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Wonju: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $460 in Wonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Wonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $446, 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 Wonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Wonju differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,487 including rent). Wonju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $2,231 in Wonju to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $460 in Wonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $473 in Wonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wonju – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,487 in Wonju versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wonju but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Wonju 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 Wonju 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 Wonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.