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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,722 in Eskilstuna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,669 in Eskilstuna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,615 in Eskilstuna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 37% more expensive than Eskilstuna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Eskilstuna 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$13.22 SEK 124

32.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.8 SEK 656

-2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.49 SEK 98.6

34.03%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.67 SEK 43.84

-40.47%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.71 SEK 25.42

3.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.43 SEK 22.82

-15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.50 SEK 70.5

-40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.54 SEK 70.8

-38.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.50 SEK 14.05

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.20 SEK 30.05

-36.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.58 SEK 33.64

-46.37%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.85 SEK 36.14

-14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.28 SEK 134

29.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.85 SEK 111

-19.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$13.41 SEK 126

42.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.43 SEK 32.26

-23.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.71 SEK 25.46

-9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.59 SEK 24.35

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.92 SEK 36.79

-27.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.49 SEK 13.97

36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.13 SEK 20.03

-13.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.65 SEK 24.86

-44.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.74 SEK 16.37

-51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.54 SEK 70.8

-5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.76 SEK 82.3

-10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.43 SEK 22.86

-43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.98 SEK 18.64

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.22 SEK 30.29

-7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$70.1 SEK 658

-58.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$6.48 SEK 60.9

-29.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.20 SEK 11.25

72.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$63.0 SEK 592

-53.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.99 SEK 18.67

-7.54%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.5K SEK 305.4K

19.99%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.4K SEK 322.9K

-4.89%

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

$188 €162

$91.0 SEK 854

106.46%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$27.96 SEK 263

-17.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$36.08 SEK 339

1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$25.97 SEK 244

120.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$25.38 SEK 238

-18.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.44 SEK 107

-2.19%

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

$721 €621

$125 SEK 1,173

477.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$735 SEK 6,903

1946.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$103 SEK 968

-16.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$31.39 SEK 295

18.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$93.5 SEK 879

9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$156 SEK 1,469

-25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$735 SEK 6,908

108.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$631 SEK 5,931

93.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,215 SEK 11.4K

121.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,056 SEK 9,917

90.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,174 SEK 29.8K

127.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,704 SEK 25.4K

91.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$4,312 SEK 40.5K

-45.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.53

-25.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Eskilstuna: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $735 in Eskilstuna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eskilstuna pays 83% 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 Eskilstuna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $356 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 37% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,722 including rent). Eskilstuna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Eskilstuna earns 83% 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 $735 in Eskilstuna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $125 in Eskilstuna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,722 in Eskilstuna versus $2,367 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 37% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.