Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Badalona Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Badalona

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,468 per month in Icheon vs $2,454 in Badalona, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Icheon vs $2,930 in Badalona, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,043 per month in Icheon vs $3,406 in Badalona, rent included.

Icheon is about 40% cheaper than Badalona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Icheon and Badalona sit above the global median – Icheon by 10%, Badalona by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₩9,567

$17.65 €15.40

-64.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.85 ₩56.7K

$58.3 €50.9

-36.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 ₩9,371

$11.36 €9.91

-46.39%

Cappuccino

$4.17 ₩6,415

$2.61 €2.27

59.77%

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

$1.27 ₩1,959

$2.68 €2.34

-52.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,767

$2.02 €1.76

-43.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩5,711

$3.55 €3.10

4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 ₩9,104

$4.65 €4.05

27.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 ₩3,512

$1.21 €1.06

88.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 ₩5,586

$2.06 €1.80

76.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 ₩4,712

$1.66 €1.45

84.34%

Eggs

$2.88 ₩4,429

$2.97 €2.59

-3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 ₩16.3K

$14.46 €12.62

-26.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 ₩12.5K

$9.02 €7.87

-9.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.95 ₩43.0K

$17.60 €15.35

58.81%

Apples (1kg)

$8.39 ₩12.9K

$2.61 €2.27

221.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 ₩4,873

$2.96 €2.59

7.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.22 ₩11.1K

$2.13 €1.85

238.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 ₩8,284

$2.83 €2.47

90.46%

Potato (1kg)

$5.12 ₩7,870

$1.44 €1.26

255.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 ₩4,468

$1.42 €1.24

104.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 ₩3,251

$1.47 €1.28

43.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₩1,868

$0.70 €0.61

72.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩5,142

$6.32 €5.51

-47.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 ₩25.4K

$5.63 €4.91

193.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₩2,715

$1.52 €1.32

16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 ₩5,342

$2.02 €1.77

71.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,735

$2.79 €2.44

-59.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.60 €40.66

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩5,533

$4.12 €3.59

-12.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₩1,313

$2.10 €1.83

-59.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.68 ₩25.7K

$22.52 €19.65

-25.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,882

$1.80 €1.57

-32.22%

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

$27.3K ₩42.0M

$37.9K €33.0K

-27.82%

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

$25.1K ₩38.6M

$30.3K €26.4K

-17.18%

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

$187 ₩287.7K

$148 €129

26.58%

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

$51.4 ₩79.0K

$19.89 €17.35

158.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 ₩43.0K

$37.65 €32.85

-25.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.84 ₩33.6K

$51.2 €44.64

-57.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.97 €30.51

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩17.1K

$9.23 €8.05

20.37%

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

$498 ₩765.3K

$325 €283

53.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ₩21.3M

$6,950 €6,064

99.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₩155.3K

$96.1 €83.9

5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.73 ₩73.4K

$37.78 €32.96

26.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 ₩135.2K

$106 €92.1

-16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₩181.9K

$117 €102

1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 ₩1.1M

$1,730 €1,509

-56.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₩583.2K

$1,456 €1,271

-73.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 ₩1.7M

$2,333 €2,036

-53.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₩1.2M

$1,014 €884

-24.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,823 ₩13.6M

$3,143 €2,742

180.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,734 ₩7.3M

$2,220 €1,937

113.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,072 ₩3.2M

$2,009 €1,753

3.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

3.5

11.43%

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

Last update for Icheon: June 14, 2026

Last update for Badalona: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $745 in Icheon versus $1,730 in Badalona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Icheon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Icheon versus $58.0 in Badalona. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Icheon vs $290 in Badalona – so Badalona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Icheon vs Badalona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,468 in Icheon, $2,454 in Badalona – roughly 67% apart. Badalona costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,202 per month in Icheon and $3,681 in Badalona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Icheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Icheon and $58.0 in Badalona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 55% cheaper in Badalona – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Icheon, where all-in costs run around $1,468, than in Badalona at $2,454. In Icheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Badalona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Icheon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Icheon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Badalona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.