Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jonkoping Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Jonkoping

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,745 in Jonkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,834 in Jonkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,922 in Jonkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 42% more expensive than in Jonkoping, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Jonkoping 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$13.40 SEK 132

39.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$92.2 SEK 908

-24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$12.14 SEK 120

13.43%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.58 SEK 45.16

-32.31%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.08 SEK 20.50

36.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.09 SEK 20.55

-10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$8.00 SEK 78.8

-50.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.36 SEK 72.5

-38.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.70 SEK 16.79

-25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.10 SEK 20.68

2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.68 SEK 36.28

-52.17%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.88 SEK 38.22

32.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$12.75 SEK 126

40.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$12.04 SEK 119

-19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$17.32 SEK 171

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.02 SEK 29.73

7.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.58 SEK 25.40

-13.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.92 SEK 28.80

-10.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.41 SEK 43.47

-37.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.70 SEK 16.71

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.47 SEK 14.49

44.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.76 SEK 17.34

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.02 SEK 10.03

-6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$8.29 SEK 81.7

-11.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$11.26 SEK 111

-28.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.83 SEK 18.08

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.26 SEK 22.31

23.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$4.08 SEK 40.24

-23.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$77.1 SEK 760

-66.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$5.24 SEK 51.6

-37.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.15 SEK 11.35

28.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$43.27 SEK 426

-20.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.78 SEK 17.51

-2.81%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.8K SEK 332.7K

7.72%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.2K SEK 337.2K

-10.75%

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

$187 €163

$79.6 SEK 785

134.91%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$28.64 SEK 282

-47.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$42.27 SEK 417

-10.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$44.69 SEK 440

25.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$30.32 SEK 299

-43.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$15.08 SEK 149

-24.34%

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

$997 €869

$162 SEK 1,598

514.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$83.5 SEK 822

11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$26.00 SEK 256

58.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$102 SEK 1,006

8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$125 SEK 1,229

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$914 SEK 9,004

86.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$655 SEK 6,459

96.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,378 SEK 13.6K

86.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,197 SEK 11.8K

62.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,655 SEK 36.0K

109.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,951 SEK 29.1K

-20.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.27

-3.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Jonkoping: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $914 in Jonkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jonkoping pays 26% 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 $92.0 in Jonkoping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $346 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 Jonkoping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Jonkoping differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,745 including rent). Jonkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Jonkoping. 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 $914 in Jonkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $162 in Jonkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,745 in Jonkoping versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jonkoping but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jonkoping 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 Jonkoping 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 Jonkoping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.