Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Falun Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Falun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,178 in Falun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,277 in Falun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,376 in Falun.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 8% more expensive than Falun, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Falun 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$13.09 SEK 120

34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$67.6 SEK 621

0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$9.60 SEK 88.3

45.42%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$4.41 SEK 40.53

-37.41%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$1.88 SEK 17.27

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$2.00 SEK 18.41

-1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$7.39 SEK 68.0

-38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$7.19 SEK 66.1

-37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.39 SEK 12.75

-10.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$3.01 SEK 27.64

-32.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$3.90 SEK 35.87

-51.03%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$3.87 SEK 35.59

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$13.05 SEK 120

40.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$10.60 SEK 97.5

-11.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$15.94 SEK 146

18.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.51 SEK 32.25

-25.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.59 SEK 23.76

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.60 SEK 14.75

32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$5.74 SEK 52.7

-52.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.52 SEK 13.95

34.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.14 SEK 19.68

-16.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.68 SEK 24.65

-45.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.69 SEK 15.57

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$7.32 SEK 67.3

-4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$13.08 SEK 120

-41.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.74 SEK 15.98

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.91 SEK 17.59

21.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$4.69 SEK 43.07

-37.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$96.7 SEK 889

-69.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$8.62 SEK 79.2

-47.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.58 SEK 14.48

35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$77.4 SEK 711

-62.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.93 SEK 17.70

-2.07%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$37.4K SEK 343.8K

4.37%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$33.9K SEK 311.1K

-4.18%

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

$189 €161

$91.3 SEK 839

106.78%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$28.05 SEK 258

-20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$37.30 SEK 343

-1.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$71.6 SEK 658

-18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$25.39 SEK 233

-16.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$15.79 SEK 145

-30.27%

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

$731 €622

$145 SEK 1,333

403.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$745 SEK 6,845

1891.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$106 SEK 970

-15.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$44.55 SEK 409

-16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$115 SEK 1,055

-8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$154 SEK 1,414

-24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,289 SEK 11.8K

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$952 SEK 8,746

27.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,956 SEK 18.0K

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,607 SEK 14.8K

24.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$4,132 SEK 38.0K

73.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,957 SEK 27.2K

69.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,776 SEK 25.5K

-11.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Falun: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,289 in Falun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Falun pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $68 in Falun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $362 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 Falun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Falun differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $2,178 including rent). Falun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Falun earns 13% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $1,289 in Falun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $145 in Falun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,178 in Falun versus $2,356 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.

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 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.

Expats usually find Falun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.