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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,780 in Jonkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,895 in Jonkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,010 in Jonkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Jonkoping, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Jonkoping 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.63 SEK 122

39.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$86.5 SEK 838

-19.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$11.77 SEK 114

20.31%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.85 SEK 47.00

-42.27%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.90 SEK 18.38

47.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.10 SEK 20.30

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$8.05 SEK 77.9

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.50 SEK 72.6

-37.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.61 SEK 15.56

-23.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.15 SEK 20.78

-5.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.96 SEK 28.61

-33.11%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.95 SEK 38.23

-11.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.10 SEK 127

39.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.37 SEK 110

-13.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$17.22 SEK 167

11.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.30 SEK 31.91

-17.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.56 SEK 24.83

-7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.78 SEK 26.90

-25.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.37 SEK 42.32

-37.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.67 SEK 16.19

17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.63 SEK 15.78

9.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.99 SEK 19.25

-25.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.28 SEK 12.38

-28.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.41 SEK 71.8

-3.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.38 SEK 110

-30.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.88 SEK 18.23

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.24 SEK 21.72

6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$4.27 SEK 41.38

-29.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$80.3 SEK 778

-63.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.59 SEK 54.1

-22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.89 SEK 8.64

139.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$78.4 SEK 759

-62.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.91 SEK 18.53

-4.71%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$24.8K SEK 239.7K

53.03%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.1K SEK 320.4K

-2.16%

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

$189 €166

$119 SEK 1,153

58.77%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$29.28 SEK 284

-23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$40.22 SEK 389

-7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$43.01 SEK 416

34.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$26.68 SEK 258

-22.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$16.75 SEK 162

-35.10%

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

$706 €618

$151 SEK 1,457

369.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,190 SEK 40.6K

254.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$81.7 SEK 791

9.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.67 SEK 336

5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$104 SEK 1,011

-0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$129 SEK 1,247

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$846 SEK 8,193

86.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$675 SEK 6,535

83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,439 SEK 13.9K

88.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,234 SEK 12.0K

65.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,381 SEK 32.7K

122.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,876 SEK 27.8K

-17.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.53

-25.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Jonkoping: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $846 in Jonkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jonkoping pays 22% 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 $87.0 in Jonkoping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,780 including rent). Jonkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $846 in Jonkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $151 in Jonkoping. 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 $1,780 in Jonkoping versus $2,320 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.