Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Falun

For one person, living is cheaper in Falun: $2,128 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Falun
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,128
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Falun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $2,128 in Falun.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Falun $2,128

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $3,204 in Falun.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Falun $3,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $4,280 in Falun.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Falun $4,280

Living in Barcelona is roughly 12% more expensive than in Falun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Falun 57% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.92
$12.64 SEK 125
41.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €58.9
$64.7 SEK 641
2.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.18
$8.97 SEK 88.9
52.62%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$4.23 SEK 41.94
-27.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$1.79 SEK 17.75
71.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.00 SEK 19.83
-3.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$7.08 SEK 70.1
-45.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$7.10 SEK 70.3
-35.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.37 SEK 13.60
-5.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.87 SEK 28.44
-26.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.62
$4.05 SEK 40.14
-54.81%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.11
$4.53 SEK 44.86
1.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.44
$12.92 SEK 128
34.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.25
$10.03 SEK 99.4
-7.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.64
$17.17 SEK 170
15.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.68
$3.28 SEK 32.45
-8.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.64 SEK 26.15
-23.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$1.97 SEK 19.53
34.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$4.66 SEK 46.22
-38.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.48 SEK 14.63
45.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.78 SEK 17.61
20.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.25 SEK 22.25
-34.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.84 SEK 18.21
-52.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.16
$7.28 SEK 72.1
-4.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.96
$10.11 SEK 100
-22.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.92 SEK 18.98
-27.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.26 SEK 22.36
16.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.59
$4.62 SEK 45.81
-37.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.64
$93.8 SEK 929
-72.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.66
$8.10 SEK 80.2
-62.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.97 SEK 19.49
-26.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.53
$73.3 SEK 726
-54.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.71 SEK 16.93
8.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.8K
$33.4K SEK 331.4K
-3.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.2K
$32.8K SEK 324.7K
-3.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$132 SEK 1,303
38.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.11
$27.70 SEK 274
-50.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.29
$40.58 SEK 402
-18.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.65
$66.7 SEK 661
-18.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.70
$26.12 SEK 259
-36.75%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$16.89 SEK 167
-33.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €849
$218 SEK 2,161
337.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$4,835 SEK 47.9K
243.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.5
$97.7 SEK 968
-11.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.78
$51.4 SEK 509
-23.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.2
$93.3 SEK 924
11.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$203 SEK 2,009
-41.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,508
$1,200 SEK 11.9K
41.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,135
$900 SEK 8,915
41.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$1,877 SEK 18.6K
37.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,710
$1,487 SEK 14.7K
29.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,477
$3,985 SEK 39.5K
82.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,456
$2,808 SEK 27.8K
78.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Falun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,981
$2,842 SEK 28.2K
-21.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
2.8
17.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Falun: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Falun
$900 29.5% $376
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Falun
$354 8.9% $29
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Falun
$244 9.6% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Falun
$200 12.9% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Falun
$200 28.1% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Falun
$100 30.2% $23
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Falun
$130 175% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $1,200 in Falun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Falun pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $65.0 in Falun. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $354, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇸🇪 Falun
🕒 Local time
02:21 2:21 AM
02:21 2:21 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
39,492
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Falun 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Falun

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 Falun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Falun?
Barcelona and Falun differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $2,128 including rent). Falun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Falun. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Falun?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $1,200 in Falun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Falun?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $218 in Falun. 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 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $2,128 in Falun versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Falun but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Falun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Falun?
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 Falun safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Falun are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Falun?
Expats usually find Falun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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