Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Boras

For one person, living is cheaper in Boras: $1,888 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona, Spain
Boras, Sweden
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Boras
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,888
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Boras

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 Boras actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,888 in Boras.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Boras $1,888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,215 in Boras.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Boras $2,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $2,542 in Boras.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Boras $2,542

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Boras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Boras 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.75
$12.97 SEK 127
35.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$92.1 SEK 904
-26.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.12
$10.21 SEK 100
32.52%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.86
$4.20 SEK 41.19
-24.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.61
$2.13 SEK 20.91
36.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$2.03 SEK 19.90
-6.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.59
$6.84 SEK 67.1
-41.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.06
$7.24 SEK 71.0
-37.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.62 SEK 15.92
-19.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.57 SEK 25.20
-21.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$3.10 SEK 30.41
-40.32%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.33
$4.45 SEK 43.66
8.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €14.99
$12.48 SEK 122
34.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.17
$11.34 SEK 111
-19.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.59
$15.54 SEK 153
26.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.67
$3.10 SEK 30.38
-3.87%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.62 SEK 25.74
-22.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.42
$2.83 SEK 27.79
-4.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.51
$3.61 SEK 35.43
-22.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.53 SEK 15.05
36.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.36 SEK 13.35
52.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.24 SEK 21.96
-34.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.33 SEK 13.06
-29.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.15
$6.82 SEK 66.9
0.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.06
$8.09 SEK 79.4
-2.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.74 SEK 17.12
-18.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.58 SEK 15.55
60.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$3.54 SEK 34.78
-11.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.79
$77.2 SEK 758
-67.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.68
$4.89 SEK 47.98
-38.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.12 SEK 11.01
33.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.89
$41.83 SEK 410
-20.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.73 SEK 17.00
4.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$24.8K SEK 243.4K
33.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.4K
$15.2K SEK 149.2K
108.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$59.1 SEK 580
205.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.39
$29.27 SEK 287
-52.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.18
$40.09 SEK 393
-15.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.13
$35.54 SEK 349
44.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.29
$25.42 SEK 249
-37.21%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.85
$14.79 SEK 145
-25.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €821
$160 SEK 1,571
472.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.9
$49.67 SEK 487
75.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.49
$49.25 SEK 483
-21.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.8
$81.6 SEK 801
29.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$102 SEK 1,004
16.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,522
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,214
$881 SEK 8,646
53.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,331
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,847
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,193
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,592
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Boras
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,980
$2,473 SEK 24.3K
-10.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
4.8
-31.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Boras: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Boras
$881 35% $474
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Boras
$334 3.7% $12
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Boras
$250 6.7% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Boras
$128 43.6% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Boras
$127 19.4% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Boras
$65 11.4% $8.4
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Boras
$102 110% $53

Cost Breakdown

Boras pays 12% 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 $92 in Boras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $334 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇸🇪 Boras
🕒 Local time
00:09 12:09 AM
00:09 12:09 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
66,273
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Boras 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Boras

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 Boras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Boras?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,888 in Boras, so Boras is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 11% 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Boras?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $160 in Boras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Boras?
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.
Is Barcelona or Boras safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Boras are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

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