Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,063 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,240 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,417 in Gothenburg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 12% more expensive than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$13.74 SEK 133

28.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$91.2 SEK 883

-23.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.42 SEK 101

35.89%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.86 SEK 47.02

-42.39%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.08 SEK 29.79

-8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.56 SEK 24.81

-19.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.43 SEK 71.9

-38.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.72 SEK 74.7

-39.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.76 SEK 17.02

-30.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.87 SEK 27.83

-29.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.34 SEK 32.35

-40.72%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.63 SEK 44.87

-24.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$11.67 SEK 113

57.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$12.41 SEK 120

-20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$18.65 SEK 181

2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.07 SEK 29.77

-11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.64 SEK 25.60

-9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.93 SEK 28.35

-29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.31 SEK 41.74

-36.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.76 SEK 16.99

11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.87 SEK 18.13

-4.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.22 SEK 21.45

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.59 SEK 15.40

-42.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.94 SEK 76.9

-10.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$14.36 SEK 139

-45.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.20 SEK 21.29

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.53 SEK 24.48

-5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.92 SEK 38.00

-23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$90.9 SEK 880

-67.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$10.16 SEK 98.4

-57.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.67 SEK 16.12

27.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$61.6 SEK 596

-51.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.96 SEK 18.98

-7.14%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

17.74%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

-8.94%

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

$189 €166

$140 SEK 1,358

34.72%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$25.00 SEK 242

-10.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$38.56 SEK 373

-3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.38 SEK 401

40.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$24.81 SEK 240

-16.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$18.04 SEK 175

-39.75%

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

$706 €618

$178 SEK 1,722

297.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

255.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$89.5 SEK 867

-0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$39.39 SEK 381

-7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$95.4 SEK 923

9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$153 SEK 1,477

-21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

44.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$860 SEK 8,328

43.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

45.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

15.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

49.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

-34.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.33

-21.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 52% 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 $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $377 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 Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Gothenburg differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,063 including rent). Gothenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Gothenburg. 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 $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $178 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg 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 Gothenburg 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 Gothenburg 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.