✦ Compare
Barcelona vs
Seoul
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Seoul, KR, you'd need
$60,014 / year
Seoul, KR is 20% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Seoul, KR vs Barcelona, ES)
- Housing-28%
- Food & groceries-15%
- Transport-31%
- Utilities-27%
- Healthcare-19%
- Goods & services-7%
▤ Full comparison
| Barcelona, ES | Seoul, KR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 105 | 84 |
| Housing | 125 | 90 |
| Food | 100 | 85 |
| Transport | 80 | 55 |
| Utilities | 110 | 80 |
| Healthcare | 80 | 65 |
| Goods & services | 102 | 95 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,350/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,000/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,700/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | $12,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $951 | $1,189 |
| Inexpensive meal | $15 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | $60 | $45 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 47% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 10% |
| Social security (employee) | 6.4% | — |
| Corporate tax | 25% | 24% |
| Capital gains | 28% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $1,900/mo | $2,500/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,300/mo | $1,500/mo |
| GDP per capita | $38,627 | $35,563 |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.7% | 2.3% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 80 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+9 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 55 | 78 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 82 |
| Pollution index | 50 | 55 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 220 Mbps |
| Walkability | 90 | 75 |
| Public transport | 88 | 92 |
| Family-friendly | 66 | 68 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr | 84 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +10 °C | -2 °C |
| July avg | +25 °C | +25 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 250 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 640 mm | 1,400 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Spain vs South Korea. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Barcelona to Seoul: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Barcelona to Seoul, your cost of living will be roughly 20% cheaper. Seoul’s cost-of-living index is 84 versus 105 for Barcelona (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Barcelona cheaper than Seoul?
Seoul is about 20% cheaper than Barcelona overall — its cost-of-living index is 84 versus 105 for Barcelona.
How much do you need to earn in Seoul to live like in Barcelona?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Barcelona is worth about $60,014 in Seoul. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Barcelona or Seoul?
South Korea has the lower top income-tax rate — 45% versus 47% in Spain.
◷ More comparisons from Barcelona
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.