Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
Learn more

Bålsta Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Bålsta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Bålsta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,563 in Bålsta.

Barcelona $2,453
Bålsta $1,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,445 in Bålsta.

Barcelona $3,509
Bålsta $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,328 in Bålsta.

Barcelona $4,564
Bålsta $3,328

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Bålsta 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.75

$13.67 SEK 134

28.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$66.8 SEK 656

1.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$8.80 SEK 86.4

53.75%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$3.95 SEK 38.79

-19.24%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$2.68 SEK 26.31

8.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.24 SEK 21.99

-15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$7.16 SEK 70.3

-43.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$6.96 SEK 68.3

-34.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.49 SEK 14.62

-12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.00 SEK 19.66

1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$3.51 SEK 34.42

-47.29%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$3.71 SEK 36.45

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.99

$11.01 SEK 108

52.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$12.21 SEK 120

-25.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.59

$11.02 SEK 108

78.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.50 SEK 24.52

19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.60 SEK 25.54

-22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$2.07 SEK 20.32

30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$2.90 SEK 28.42

-3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.50 SEK 14.75

39.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.18 SEK 11.59

75.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.55 SEK 15.20

-5.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.99 SEK 9.73

-5.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.15

$7.26 SEK 71.3

-5.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.06

$10.20 SEK 100

-22.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.54 SEK 15.07

-8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$1.96 SEK 19.26

29.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$3.28 SEK 32.18

-4.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.79

$79.1 SEK 776

-67.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$6.03 SEK 59.2

-50.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.54 SEK 15.16

-3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.89

$77.4 SEK 760

-56.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.76 SEK 17.28

2.27%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$33.2K SEK 325.6K

0.04%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$33.8K SEK 331.6K

-6.20%

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

$180 €162

$50.1 SEK 491

260.39%

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

$13.84 €12.39

$20.16 SEK 198

-31.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.18

$39.59 SEK 389

-14.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.13

$37.16 SEK 365

38.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.29

$26.37 SEK 259

-39.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$12.93 SEK 127

-15.00%

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

$917 €821

$121 SEK 1,189

656.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$5,046 SEK 49.5K

226.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.9

$69.2 SEK 679

25.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.49

$9.93 SEK 97.4

287.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$81.0 SEK 794

30.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$113 SEK 1,107

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,522

$801 SEK 7,861

112.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$610 SEK 5,982

122.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,331

$1,368 SEK 13.4K

90.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,847

$1,030 SEK 10.1K

100.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,193

$4,003 SEK 39.3K

72.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,592

$2,823 SEK 27.7K

81.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,980

$3,868 SEK 38.0K

-42.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

2.8

17.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Bålsta

$610 39% 55% $746

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Bålsta

$299 19.1% 7.2% $23

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Bålsta

$253 16.2% 5.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Bålsta

$110 7% 51.8% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Bålsta

$123 7.9% 22.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Bålsta

$63 4% 14.2% $10

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Bålsta

$106 6.8% 119% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $801 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $67 in Bålsta. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $299, with Bålsta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

13:40 1:40 PM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

13,138

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Bålsta 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Bålsta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 36% 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 43% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $801 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $1,563 in Bålsta – Bålsta is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Barcelona and Bålsta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.