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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,958 in Boras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,789 in Boras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,619 in Boras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 18% more expensive than in Boras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Boras 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.83 SEK 124

37.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$72.6 SEK 703

-4.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.63 SEK 103

33.21%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.37 SEK 42.27

-35.93%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.22 SEK 21.53

26.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.07 SEK 20.02

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$8.15 SEK 78.9

-43.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.42 SEK 71.9

-36.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.67 SEK 16.20

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.15 SEK 20.84

-5.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.07 SEK 29.68

-35.50%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.48 SEK 43.37

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.07 SEK 127

40.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.49 SEK 111

-14.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$16.85 SEK 163

13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.68 SEK 25.92

1.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.77 SEK 26.82

-14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.82 SEK 27.29

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.77 SEK 36.47

-27.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.54 SEK 14.92

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.62 SEK 15.64

10.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.41 SEK 13.68

4.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.50 SEK 14.51

-39.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$8.23 SEK 79.7

-13.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.40 SEK 91.0

-16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.03 SEK 19.66

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.73 SEK 16.74

38.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.74 SEK 36.16

-19.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$86.2 SEK 834

-65.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$6.46 SEK 62.6

-32.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.87 SEK 18.15

13.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$62.5 SEK 605

-52.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.96 SEK 19.02

-7.14%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.2K SEK 253.5K

44.71%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$25.4K SEK 245.8K

27.56%

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

$189 €166

$74.9 SEK 725

152.55%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.64 SEK 277

-22.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$27.88 SEK 270

33.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$34.39 SEK 333

68.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$23.82 SEK 231

-13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$15.85 SEK 153

-31.42%

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

$706 €618

$157 SEK 1,519

350.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,162 SEK 40.3K

257.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$81.2 SEK 787

10.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$39.45 SEK 382

-7.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$94.5 SEK 915

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$108 SEK 1,045

10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$849 SEK 8,223

85.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$927 SEK 8,975

33.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,384 SEK 13.4K

95.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,064 SEK 10.3K

91.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,480 SEK 24.0K

-4.68%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Boras: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $849 in Boras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boras pays 5% 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 $73.0 in Boras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $340 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 18% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,958 including rent). Boras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $849 in Boras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $157 in Boras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,958 in Boras versus $2,320 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 18% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.