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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,902 in Boras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,272 in Boras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,641 in Boras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Boras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Boras 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$13.12 SEK 129

42.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$92.7 SEK 913

-25.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.12 SEK 99.8

36.07%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.27 SEK 42.09

-27.40%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.18 SEK 21.53

29.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.03 SEK 20.03

-7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.34 SEK 72.4

-45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.34 SEK 72.3

-38.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.68 SEK 16.52

-24.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.80 SEK 27.63

-22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.13 SEK 30.81

-43.77%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$4.64 SEK 45.72

10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$12.37 SEK 122

44.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$11.63 SEK 115

-17.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$16.80 SEK 166

19.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.23 SEK 31.83

0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.84 SEK 28.00

-21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.91 SEK 28.71

-10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.55 SEK 34.99

-22.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.55 SEK 15.28

42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.41 SEK 13.91

50.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.29 SEK 22.55

-32.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.37 SEK 13.49

-30.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.86 SEK 67.6

7.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.61 SEK 84.8

-6.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.74 SEK 17.14

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.66 SEK 16.34

68.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.74 SEK 36.87

-16.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$78.3 SEK 771

-66.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$5.09 SEK 50.1

-35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.15 SEK 11.34

28.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$42.10 SEK 415

-18.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.84 SEK 18.16

-5.98%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$25.3K SEK 249.2K

43.83%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$15.1K SEK 149.0K

102.01%

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

$187 €163

$62.1 SEK 612

201.11%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$31.06 SEK 306

-51.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$41.56 SEK 410

-9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$35.29 SEK 348

58.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$25.95 SEK 256

-34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$15.39 SEK 152

-25.86%

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

$997 €869

$162 SEK 1,592

516.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$50.8 SEK 501

82.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$50.8 SEK 500

-18.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$81.8 SEK 806

35.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$104 SEK 1,026

20.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$887 SEK 8,737

45.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,478 SEK 24.4K

-5.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.8

-34.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Boras: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Boras pays 6% 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 $93.0 in Boras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $346 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,902 including rent). Boras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Boras. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $162 in Boras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,902 in Boras versus $2,476 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.