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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 20% more expensive than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$13.45 SEK 133

39.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$91.4 SEK 901

-23.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$13.14 SEK 130

4.79%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.97 SEK 48.93

-37.63%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$3.02 SEK 29.77

-6.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.23 SEK 21.93

-15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$6.88 SEK 67.8

-42.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.55 SEK 74.4

-40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.73 SEK 17.07

-26.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.72 SEK 26.78

-20.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.18 SEK 31.32

-44.65%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.94 SEK 38.82

30.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.92 SEK 117

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$11.66 SEK 115

-17.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$16.83 SEK 166

19.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.20 SEK 31.51

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.57 SEK 25.34

-13.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.08 SEK 30.40

-15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.24 SEK 41.82

-34.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.85 SEK 18.24

19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.65 SEK 16.29

28.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.98 SEK 19.51

-21.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-45.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$8.36 SEK 82.4

-12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$14.27 SEK 141

-43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.07 SEK 20.38

-25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.23 SEK 21.96

25.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.74 SEK 36.89

-16.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$88.0 SEK 867

-70.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$6.22 SEK 61.3

-47.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.71 SEK 16.82

-13.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$60.3 SEK 594

-43.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.83 SEK 17.99

-5.46%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

8.94%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

-12.18%

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

$187 €163

$107 SEK 1,057

74.40%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$19.22 SEK 189

-21.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$35.96 SEK 354

4.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$37.06 SEK 365

50.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$25.22 SEK 249

-32.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$19.54 SEK 193

-41.61%

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

$997 €869

$229 SEK 2,253

335.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

269.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$89.2 SEK 879

3.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.16 SEK 327

24.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$93.3 SEK 919

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$133 SEK 1,308

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

63.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$952 SEK 9,380

35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

37.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

19.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

44.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

-35.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.06

3.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $363 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 20% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,066 including rent). Gothenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $2,476 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 20% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.