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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Ulsan versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

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

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

Living in Ulsan costs roughly 39% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ₩9,791

$17.58 €15.12

-63.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 ₩45.3K

$68.4 €58.9

-56.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ₩7,313

$14.06 €12.09

-65.65%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ₩4,766

$2.78 €2.39

13.31%

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

$1.12 ₩1,691

$2.80 €2.41

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₩591

$2.06 €1.78

-81.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 ₩3,935

$4.46 €3.84

-41.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ₩4,984

$4.61 €3.96

-28.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ₩2,640

$1.24 €1.07

40.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 ₩3,315

$2.03 €1.74

7.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₩2,717

$1.92 €1.65

-6.77%

Eggs

$2.88 ₩4,362

$3.31 €2.85

-12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₩16.0K

$18.43 €15.85

-42.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 ₩12.6K

$9.49 €8.16

-12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.12 ₩41.1K

$19.16 €16.48

41.54%

Apples (1kg)

$7.16 ₩10.8K

$2.64 €2.27

171.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,975

$2.45 €2.11

33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.29 ₩11.0K

$2.12 €1.82

243.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 ₩6,712

$2.85 €2.45

55.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 ₩5,662

$2.04 €1.75

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 ₩3,738

$1.85 €1.59

33.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩3,151

$1.47 €1.26

41.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,365

$0.84 €0.73

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩5,032

$7.14 €6.14

-53.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.65 ₩25.2K

$7.88 €6.78

111.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₩2,560

$1.38 €1.19

22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 ₩5,260

$2.31 €1.99

50.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ₩1,418

$2.98 €2.56

-68.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ₩3,630

$4.60 €3.95

-47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,191

$2.07 €1.78

-61.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 ₩25.0K

$29.18 €25.10

-43.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₩1,785

$1.84 €1.58

-35.87%

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

$27.6K ₩41.9M

$39.0K €33.6K

-29.18%

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

$25.2K ₩38.2M

$32.7K €28.1K

-22.93%

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

$187 ₩283.3K

$188 €162

-0.47%

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

$50.3 ₩76.2K

$22.93 €19.73

119.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.92 ₩42.3K

$36.71 €31.58

-23.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 ₩90.0K

$57.4 €49.35

3.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 ₩15.6K

$11.19 €9.63

-8.22%

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

$252 ₩382.6K

$721 €620

-64.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ₩21.0M

$15.0K €12.9K

-7.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₩154.3K

$86.2 €74.2

18.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 ₩72.0K

$37.07 €31.89

28.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 ₩131.7K

$102 €87.8

-14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₩174.9K

$116 €99.7

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₩416.9K

$1,534 €1,319

-82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 ₩562.0K

$1,220 €1,050

-69.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₩1.6M

$2,696 €2,319

-60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 ₩1.2M

$2,013 €1,732

-62.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 ₩5.9M

$7,220 €6,211

-45.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 ₩3.6M

$5,189 €4,463

-54.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,022 ₩3.1M

$2,359 €2,029

-14.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

17.99%

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

Last update for Ulsan: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Ulsan and $1,534 in Barcelona. 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: $30.00 in Ulsan vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $318, 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

Ulsan vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulsan and Barcelona differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,444 vs $2,367 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 17% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $275 in Ulsan versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $252 in Ulsan versus $721 in Barcelona. 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, Ulsan and Barcelona 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.