Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bålsta Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bålsta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,619 in Bålsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,516 in Bålsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,413 in Bålsta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 53% more expensive than in Bålsta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Bålsta 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$14.12 SEK 139

32.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$67.5 SEK 665

2.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.05 SEK 89.2

52.15%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.13 SEK 40.75

-24.94%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.76 SEK 27.22

2.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.24 SEK 22.07

-16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.50 SEK 73.9

-46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.43 SEK 73.2

-39.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.58 SEK 15.61

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.02 SEK 19.95

6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.59 SEK 35.37

-50.97%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.73 SEK 36.79

37.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.52 SEK 114

55.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$12.47 SEK 123

-22.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$11.53 SEK 114

74.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.65 SEK 26.16

22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.77 SEK 27.34

-19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.13 SEK 21.01

22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.90 SEK 28.55

-4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.47 SEK 14.47

50.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.29 SEK 12.66

64.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.58 SEK 15.55

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.01 SEK 9.94

-5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.26 SEK 71.6

1.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.21 SEK 101

-21.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.58 SEK 15.54

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.14 SEK 21.10

30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.42 SEK 33.73

-9.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$81.7 SEK 805

-68.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$6.31 SEK 62.2

-48.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.54 SEK 15.21

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$79.6 SEK 784

-56.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.81 SEK 17.88

-4.42%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.8K SEK 343.0K

4.49%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.9K SEK 333.7K

-9.81%

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

$187 €163

$51.4 SEK 506

264.18%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$20.63 SEK 203

-26.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$40.94 SEK 403

-7.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$39.69 SEK 391

40.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$26.10 SEK 257

-34.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$13.79 SEK 136

-17.26%

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

$997 €869

$126 SEK 1,245

688.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,266 SEK 51.9K

213.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$73.8 SEK 727

25.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$10.48 SEK 103

293.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$83.7 SEK 825

32.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$115 SEK 1,131

9.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$831 SEK 8,191

105.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$605 SEK 5,964

112.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,417 SEK 14.0K

81.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,041 SEK 10.3K

86.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,263 SEK 42.0K

79.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,890 SEK 28.5K

78.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,987 SEK 39.3K

-41.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $831 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $308 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

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 Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Barcelona. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Bålsta. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $831 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,476 per month in Barcelona versus $1,619 in Bålsta – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 216% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,619 in Bålsta versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.