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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $2,051 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $3,215 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $4,379 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 75% above, Gothenburg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$13.78 SEK 127

28.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$92.4 SEK 849

-26.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$10.69 SEK 98.2

30.59%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$4.78 SEK 43.94

-42.26%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$3.09 SEK 28.39

-10.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$2.54 SEK 23.34

-22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$7.29 SEK 67.0

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$7.83 SEK 72.0

-42.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.75 SEK 16.06

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$2.95 SEK 27.15

-30.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$3.27 SEK 30.03

-41.59%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$4.42 SEK 40.63

-23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$11.50 SEK 106

59.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$12.54 SEK 115

-25.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$18.44 SEK 170

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.18 SEK 29.22

-17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.66 SEK 24.49

-9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$2.99 SEK 27.48

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$4.34 SEK 39.88

-37.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.73 SEK 15.92

18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.89 SEK 17.34

-5.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.19 SEK 20.09

-32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.56 SEK 14.32

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$8.12 SEK 74.6

-13.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$12.52 SEK 115

-39.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$2.25 SEK 20.71

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.51 SEK 23.09

-7.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$3.81 SEK 35.04

-22.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$88.3 SEK 811

-66.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$10.44 SEK 95.9

-56.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.59 SEK 14.60

34.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$63.5 SEK 583

-54.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.89 SEK 17.39

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$32.8K SEK 301.1K

19.16%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$35.8K SEK 329.4K

-9.50%

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

$189 €161

$137 SEK 1,259

37.86%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$25.60 SEK 235

-13.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$38.36 SEK 353

-4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$41.02 SEK 377

41.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$25.40 SEK 233

-16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$17.50 SEK 161

-37.09%

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

$731 €622

$173 SEK 1,592

321.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$4,218 SEK 38.8K

251.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$88.5 SEK 814

0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$39.93 SEK 367

-6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$99.0 SEK 910

5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$152 SEK 1,393

-23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$1,140 SEK 10.5K

36.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$873 SEK 8,023

39.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,894 SEK 17.4K

47.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,435 SEK 13.2K

39.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$6,409 SEK 58.9K

11.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$3,962 SEK 36.4K

26.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$3,940 SEK 36.2K

-37.51%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $1,140 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 60% 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 $92 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $374 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 ($2,356 vs $2,051 including rent). Gothenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 60% 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 $1,140 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $173 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 $2,051 in Gothenburg versus $2,356 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.