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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,142 in Falun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,235 in Falun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,328 in Falun.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 10% more expensive than Falun, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Falun 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$12.98 SEK 122

35.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.4 SEK 651

-1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.32 SEK 87.4

50.86%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.57 SEK 42.84

-39.17%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.87 SEK 17.58

49.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.04 SEK 19.16

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.25 SEK 68.0

-38.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.47 SEK 70.1

-38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.38 SEK 12.93

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.86 SEK 26.80

-29.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.94 SEK 36.99

-51.27%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.94 SEK 36.94

-15.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.14 SEK 123

40.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$10.37 SEK 97.3

-8.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$15.76 SEK 148

21.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.64 SEK 34.14

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.56 SEK 24.03

-4.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.54 SEK 14.48

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.63 SEK 52.8

-49.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.50 SEK 14.02

36.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.09 SEK 19.64

-11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.73 SEK 25.62

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.66 SEK 15.60

-49.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.42 SEK 69.5

-3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.71 SEK 100

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.70 SEK 15.99

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.99 SEK 18.62

16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$4.73 SEK 44.40

-37.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$97.2 SEK 911

-69.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$8.25 SEK 77.4

-44.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.63 SEK 15.33

26.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$76.8 SEK 721

-62.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.86 SEK 17.45

-1.08%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.2K SEK 357.9K

2.24%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$34.4K SEK 322.7K

-4.96%

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

$188 €162

$91.4 SEK 857

105.47%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$28.64 SEK 269

-19.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$36.62 SEK 343

0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$71.8 SEK 673

-20.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$24.84 SEK 233

-16.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$15.55 SEK 146

-28.04%

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

$721 €621

$146 SEK 1,372

392.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$736 SEK 6,903

1943.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$106 SEK 995

-18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$43.09 SEK 404

-13.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$117 SEK 1,101

-13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$158 SEK 1,483

-26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,286 SEK 12.1K

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$957 SEK 8,974

27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,963 SEK 18.4K

37.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,602 SEK 15.0K

25.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$4,404 SEK 41.3K

63.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$3,027 SEK 28.4K

71.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$2,772 SEK 26.0K

-14.90%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Falun: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,286 in Falun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Falun pays 18% 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 $69.0 in Falun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $354 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 10% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,142 including rent). Falun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Falun earns 18% 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 $1,286 in Falun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $146 in Falun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,142 in Falun versus $2,367 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 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.