Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Eskilstuna Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Eskilstuna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,856 in Eskilstuna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,818 in Eskilstuna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,780 in Eskilstuna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than in Eskilstuna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Eskilstuna 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$14.74 SEK 141

24.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$69.0 SEK 658

0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$10.48 SEK 99.9

34.83%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$4.65 SEK 44.36

-32.69%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.73 SEK 26.00

10.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.27 SEK 21.63

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$5.41 SEK 51.6

-26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$5.21 SEK 49.72

-8.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.47 SEK 13.98

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.30 SEK 31.50

-34.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.43 SEK 32.67

-50.73%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.27 SEK 40.73

15.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$14.29 SEK 136

25.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$13.18 SEK 126

-27.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$13.66 SEK 130

41.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.36 SEK 32.04

-3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.79 SEK 26.55

-21.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.58 SEK 24.60

3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$3.82 SEK 36.40

-27.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.55 SEK 14.73

42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.85 SEK 17.66

18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.25 SEK 30.98

-53.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.78 SEK 16.95

-48.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$7.36 SEK 70.2

-3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$8.62 SEK 82.2

-5.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.02 SEK 19.24

-25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.34 SEK 22.33

18.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.41 SEK 32.50

-7.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$68.8 SEK 656

-60.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$13.82 SEK 132

-76.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.05 SEK 19.54

-26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$84.1 SEK 802

-58.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.77 SEK 16.84

-1.13%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$33.3K SEK 317.8K

9.97%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$33.8K SEK 321.9K

-8.36%

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

$188 €161

$185 SEK 1,768

1.16%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$27.38 SEK 261

-43.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$41.03 SEK 391

-7.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$25.77 SEK 246

121.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$27.10 SEK 258

-38.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$11.80 SEK 112

-1.86%

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

$1,003 €862

$159 SEK 1,513

531.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$5,323 SEK 50.7K

219.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$104 SEK 992

-14.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$31.65 SEK 302

29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$94.6 SEK 902

16.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$159 SEK 1,513

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$833 SEK 7,943

100.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$633 SEK 6,038

110.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,233 SEK 11.8K

110.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,078 SEK 10.3K

80.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$4,245 SEK 40.5K

78.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,965 SEK 28.3K

81.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$4,351 SEK 41.5K

-44.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.2

-1.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Eskilstuna: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $833 in Eskilstuna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eskilstuna pays 81% 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 $69.0 in Eskilstuna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $366 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 Eskilstuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Eskilstuna differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,856 including rent). Eskilstuna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Eskilstuna. 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $833 in Eskilstuna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $159 in Eskilstuna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,856 in Eskilstuna versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Eskilstuna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Eskilstuna 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 Eskilstuna 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 Eskilstuna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.