Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karlskrona Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karlskrona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,731 in Karlskrona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,646 in Karlskrona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,561 in Karlskrona.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 36% more expensive than in Karlskrona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Karlskrona 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$13.22 SEK 126

29.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$67.7 SEK 643

0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.56 SEK 90.8

42.68%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.96 SEK 37.59

-29.80%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.39 SEK 13.17

102.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.50 SEK 23.76

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$7.20 SEK 68.4

-38.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$5.22 SEK 49.61

-11.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.60 SEK 15.18

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.90 SEK 27.54

-26.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.98 SEK 37.83

-50.00%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$4.08 SEK 38.74

-17.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.20 SEK 106

69.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$11.61 SEK 110

-17.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$16.01 SEK 152

16.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.08 SEK 29.28

-13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.56 SEK 24.28

-8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.09 SEK 29.39

-32.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.70 SEK 44.66

-41.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.50 SEK 14.24

30.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.54 SEK 14.60

17.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.24 SEK 21.29

-32.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.46 SEK 13.84

-39.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.59 SEK 72.1

-10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$13.09 SEK 124

-39.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.04 SEK 19.38

-32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.73 SEK 16.40

38.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$2.87 SEK 27.22

1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$64.7 SEK 615

-55.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$14.71 SEK 140

-68.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.58 SEK 15.01

29.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$20.76 SEK 197

38.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.92 SEK 18.26

-5.21%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.4K SEK 307.5K

21.48%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.0K SEK 322.9K

-4.47%

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

$187 €162

$53.7 SEK 511

247.28%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$28.91 SEK 275

-22.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$35.92 SEK 341

1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$43.93 SEK 417

30.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$23.99 SEK 228

-13.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$16.62 SEK 158

-35.20%

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

$725 €628

$144 SEK 1,368

403.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$753 SEK 7,150

1912.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$104 SEK 988

-15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$20.81 SEK 198

76.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$82.8 SEK 787

24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$155 SEK 1,469

-23.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$694 SEK 6,596

119.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$697 SEK 6,626

75.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,182 SEK 11.2K

130.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,012 SEK 9,616

95.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,978 SEK 28.3K

150.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,617 SEK 24.9K

100.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,547 SEK 24.2K

-6.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.7

-27.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $694 in Karlskrona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona pays 6% 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 $68.0 in Karlskrona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $357 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 Karlskrona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Karlskrona differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,731 including rent). Karlskrona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Karlskrona. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $694 in Karlskrona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $144 in Karlskrona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,731 in Karlskrona versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlskrona but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Karlskrona 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 Karlskrona 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 Karlskrona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.