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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

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

Living in Barcelona is roughly 15% more expensive than Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$13.74 SEK 129

27.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$93.9 SEK 880

-27.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.34 SEK 97.0

35.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.73 SEK 44.40

-41.23%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.97 SEK 27.84

-5.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.53 SEK 23.76

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.26 SEK 68.1

-38.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.72 SEK 72.4

-40.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.68 SEK 15.75

-26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.85 SEK 26.75

-28.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.32 SEK 31.11

-42.17%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.65 SEK 43.63

-28.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$11.80 SEK 111

56.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$12.61 SEK 118

-24.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$19.02 SEK 178

0.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.10 SEK 29.07

-14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.74 SEK 25.67

-10.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.91 SEK 27.25

-27.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.18 SEK 39.16

-31.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.66 SEK 15.58

22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.85 SEK 17.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.27 SEK 21.33

-35.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.55 SEK 14.53

-45.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.82 SEK 73.3

-8.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$15.32 SEK 144

-48.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.26 SEK 21.19

-38.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.61 SEK 24.45

-11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.80 SEK 35.63

-21.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$88.6 SEK 831

-66.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$10.11 SEK 94.8

-54.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.66 SEK 15.56

24.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$61.7 SEK 579

-52.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.89 SEK 17.73

-2.65%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

21.80%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$34.5K SEK 323.3K

-5.13%

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

$188 €162

$138 SEK 1,299

35.65%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$24.95 SEK 234

-8.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$38.25 SEK 359

-4.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$41.78 SEK 392

37.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$25.26 SEK 237

-18.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$17.98 SEK 169

-37.76%

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

$721 €621

$175 SEK 1,646

310.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,215 SEK 39.5K

256.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$87.6 SEK 822

-1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$40.28 SEK 378

-7.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$96.9 SEK 909

5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$156 SEK 1,466

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$873 SEK 8,190

39.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

40.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$6,696 SEK 62.8K

7.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$3,764 SEK 35.3K

37.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

-40.32%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 68% 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 $94.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $381 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 15% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,058 including rent). Gothenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 68% 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 $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,367 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 15% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.