Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Boras Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Boras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,947 in Boras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,766 in Boras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,586 in Boras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 22% more expensive than Boras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Boras 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$12.77 SEK 119

37.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$70.4 SEK 656

-2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.65 SEK 99.4

32.02%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.56 SEK 42.56

-39.04%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.24 SEK 20.89

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.14 SEK 20.00

-3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.94 SEK 74.1

-43.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$7.27 SEK 67.9

-36.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.67 SEK 15.57

-25.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.23 SEK 20.82

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.04 SEK 28.33

-36.84%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.50 SEK 42.00

-26.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.10 SEK 122

40.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$11.63 SEK 109

-18.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$17.39 SEK 162

10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.69 SEK 25.13

-1.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.87 SEK 26.78

-14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.81 SEK 26.25

-24.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.59 SEK 33.45

-20.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.61 SEK 15.06

26.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.60 SEK 14.94

15.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.42 SEK 13.25

3.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.46 SEK 13.67

-42.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$8.24 SEK 76.9

-13.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$9.83 SEK 91.8

-19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.94 SEK 18.13

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.71 SEK 15.99

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.73 SEK 34.82

-20.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$86.6 SEK 808

-66.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$6.18 SEK 57.7

-25.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.89 SEK 17.68

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$63.9 SEK 596

-54.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.90 SEK 17.76

-3.16%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.3K SEK 245.5K

48.28%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.0K SEK 233.5K

30.69%

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

$188 €162

$75.9 SEK 709

147.33%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$28.10 SEK 262

-18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$27.50 SEK 257

33.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$34.14 SEK 319

68.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$23.96 SEK 224

-13.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$15.89 SEK 148

-29.58%

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

$721 €620

$160 SEK 1,496

349.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,124 SEK 38.5K

264.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$81.5 SEK 761

5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$40.01 SEK 373

-7.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$95.3 SEK 889

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$110 SEK 1,027

5.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$846 SEK 7,891

81.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$902 SEK 8,419

35.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,367 SEK 12.8K

97.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,096 SEK 10.2K

83.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,942 SEK 36.8K

83.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,388 SEK 31.6K

53.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,547 SEK 23.8K

-7.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.8

-29.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Boras: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $846 in Boras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boras pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Boras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $343 per month, with Barcelona 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 Boras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Boras differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,947 including rent). Boras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Boras earns 8% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $846 in Boras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $160 in Boras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,947 in Boras versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Boras but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Boras 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, Barcelona and Boras 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 Boras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.