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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,626 in Bålsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,547 in Bålsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $3,468 in Bålsta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 48% more expensive than Bålsta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Bålsta 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$12.98 SEK 121

36.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$68.9 SEK 644

1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$9.65 SEK 90.2

41.55%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$4.10 SEK 38.37

-33.17%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.79 SEK 26.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.50 SEK 23.39

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.26 SEK 68.0

-39.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$7.54 SEK 70.6

-39.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.61 SEK 15.02

-19.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.09 SEK 19.60

-1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$3.59 SEK 33.62

-44.85%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.74 SEK 34.99

-9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$11.77 SEK 110

58.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$11.86 SEK 111

-19.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$11.72 SEK 110

60.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.57 SEK 24.06

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.66 SEK 24.85

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.35 SEK 21.95

-10.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.87 SEK 26.83

-1.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.55 SEK 14.48

30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.30 SEK 12.18

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.61 SEK 15.02

-6.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.03 SEK 9.63

-12.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$7.47 SEK 69.8

-5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$10.36 SEK 96.9

-22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.54 SEK 14.38

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.92 SEK 17.91

19.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$3.36 SEK 31.47

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$72.6 SEK 679

-60.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$6.13 SEK 57.4

-28.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.24 SEK 11.64

72.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$80.6 SEK 754

-63.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.01 SEK 18.82

-7.46%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.3K SEK 302.2K

20.63%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$33.6K SEK 314.7K

-2.82%

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

$189 €163

$51.8 SEK 484

265.34%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$21.10 SEK 197

7.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$36.03 SEK 337

1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$40.88 SEK 382

40.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$25.03 SEK 234

-14.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$13.44 SEK 126

-19.57%

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

$726 €625

$127 SEK 1,191

470.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$735 SEK 6,872

1955.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$73.2 SEK 685

19.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$10.66 SEK 99.7

246.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$83.5 SEK 781

23.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$116 SEK 1,087

0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$856 SEK 8,008

83.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$654 SEK 6,117

86.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,387 SEK 13.0K

95.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$1,065 SEK 9,966

84.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$3,989 SEK 37.3K

95.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$3,268 SEK 30.6K

61.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$4,094 SEK 38.3K

-41.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $856 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $307 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 48% 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, Bålsta earns 72% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $856 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,399 per month in Barcelona versus $1,626 in Bålsta – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 156% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,626 in Bålsta versus $2,399 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 $1,626 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 48% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.