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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,756 in Eskilstuna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,714 in Eskilstuna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,671 in Eskilstuna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than in Eskilstuna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Eskilstuna 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.96 SEK 125

36.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$67.3 SEK 651

3.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.39 SEK 101

36.28%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.52 SEK 43.77

-38.05%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.69 SEK 26.08

4.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.39 SEK 23.16

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.28 SEK 70.5

-36.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.35 SEK 71.2

-36.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.52 SEK 14.71

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.07 SEK 29.72

-33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.45 SEK 33.40

-42.61%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.07 SEK 39.43

-14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.05 SEK 136

30.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.74 SEK 114

-16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.48 SEK 131

41.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.37 SEK 32.61

-18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.60 SEK 25.21

-8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.58 SEK 24.94

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.83 SEK 37.09

-28.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.49 SEK 14.38

31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.15 SEK 20.86

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.75 SEK 26.64

-46.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.70 SEK 16.42

-46.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.55 SEK 73.1

-5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.30 SEK 80.4

-5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.34 SEK 22.66

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.89 SEK 18.34

26.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.28 SEK 31.77

-8.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$67.7 SEK 656

-56.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$6.73 SEK 65.2

-35.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.19 SEK 11.49

78.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$60.9 SEK 589

-51.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.92 SEK 18.58

-5.21%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.7K SEK 316.4K

15.93%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$34.2K SEK 331.3K

-5.37%

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

$189 €166

$90.7 SEK 878

108.44%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.99 SEK 271

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$37.16 SEK 360

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$26.08 SEK 253

122.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$25.74 SEK 249

-19.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$11.58 SEK 112

-6.13%

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

$706 €618

$127 SEK 1,230

455.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$733 SEK 7,099

1927.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$106 SEK 1,029

-15.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$31.37 SEK 304

16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$96.3 SEK 932

7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$158 SEK 1,526

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$745 SEK 7,209

112.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$631 SEK 6,113

96.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,202 SEK 11.6K

125.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,042 SEK 10.1K

95.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,038 SEK 39.1K

86.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,850 SEK 27.6K

83.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$4,312 SEK 41.7K

-45.18%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Eskilstuna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $745 in Eskilstuna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eskilstuna pays 82% 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 $67.0 in Eskilstuna. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $351, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,756 including rent). Eskilstuna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $745 in Eskilstuna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $127 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 $1,756 in Eskilstuna versus $2,320 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.