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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,817 in Jonkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,860 in Jonkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,902 in Jonkoping.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Jonkoping 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$12.81 SEK 120

37.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$87.1 SEK 818

-21.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$12.13 SEK 114

15.91%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.88 SEK 45.82

-43.03%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.86 SEK 17.50

50.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.16 SEK 20.25

-4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.93 SEK 74.5

-43.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.31 SEK 68.7

-36.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.61 SEK 15.09

-22.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.18 SEK 20.46

-6.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.03 SEK 28.42

-36.63%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.86 SEK 36.27

-14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$12.74 SEK 120

44.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.42 SEK 107

-16.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$16.97 SEK 159

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.34 SEK 31.36

-20.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.64 SEK 24.81

-7.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.77 SEK 26.02

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.45 SEK 41.84

-35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.72 SEK 16.17

18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.57 SEK 14.78

17.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.06 SEK 19.31

-28.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.29 SEK 12.10

-34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.41 SEK 69.6

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.94 SEK 103

-27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.86 SEK 17.49

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.25 SEK 21.13

2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$4.11 SEK 38.60

-27.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$78.2 SEK 734

-62.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$5.43 SEK 51.0

-15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.83 SEK 7.81

149.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$78.0 SEK 732

-62.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.90 SEK 17.85

-3.16%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.3K SEK 237.6K

54.23%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$33.5K SEK 314.8K

-2.45%

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

$188 €162

$122 SEK 1,148

53.66%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$28.68 SEK 269

-20.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$41.48 SEK 390

-11.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$42.30 SEK 397

35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$27.25 SEK 256

-24.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$16.59 SEK 156

-32.55%

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

$721 €621

$154 SEK 1,444

369.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,087 SEK 38.4K

268.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$79.5 SEK 747

8.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$33.93 SEK 319

9.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$104 SEK 979

-2.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$130 SEK 1,224

-11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$860 SEK 8,074

78.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$674 SEK 6,332

81.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,442 SEK 13.5K

86.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,237 SEK 11.6K

62.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,633 SEK 34.1K

98.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,738 SEK 25.7K

-13.82%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jonkoping: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $860 in Jonkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jonkoping pays 16% 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 $87.0 in Jonkoping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $345 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 ($2,367 vs $1,817 including rent). Jonkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Jonkoping earns 16% 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 $860 in Jonkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $154 in Jonkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,817 in Jonkoping versus $2,367 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.