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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,750 in Karlskrona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,668 in Karlskrona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,587 in Karlskrona.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than Karlskrona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Karlskrona 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$13.34 SEK 124

32.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$68.7 SEK 637

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$9.26 SEK 85.9

48.49%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.78 SEK 35.05

-26.98%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.44 SEK 13.35

93.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.42 SEK 22.40

-15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$7.27 SEK 67.4

-36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$5.18 SEK 48.03

-11.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.57 SEK 14.56

-18.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.82 SEK 26.14

-25.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.93 SEK 36.39

-49.87%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$4.03 SEK 37.33

-14.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$11.28 SEK 105

66.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$11.98 SEK 111

-21.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$15.55 SEK 144

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$3.12 SEK 28.92

-12.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.46 SEK 22.83

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$3.15 SEK 29.19

-33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.54 SEK 42.04

-39.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.52 SEK 14.08

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.62 SEK 15.04

10.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.25 SEK 20.89

-32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.50 SEK 13.87

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$7.50 SEK 69.5

-9.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$12.79 SEK 119

-40.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.13 SEK 19.71

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.81 SEK 16.76

33.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$2.99 SEK 27.75

1.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$64.5 SEK 598

-55.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$14.66 SEK 136

-69.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.64 SEK 15.19

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$20.97 SEK 194

39.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.85 SEK 17.10

2.16%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$32.5K SEK 301.7K

19.05%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$34.4K SEK 318.9K

-5.92%

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

$189 €161

$53.1 SEK 492

255.16%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$28.28 SEK 262

-21.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$37.28 SEK 346

-1.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$43.09 SEK 399

34.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$23.56 SEK 218

-10.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$16.60 SEK 154

-33.43%

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

$726 €620

$145 SEK 1,348

399.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$731 SEK 6,779

1981.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$104 SEK 962

-14.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$21.33 SEK 198

73.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$83.4 SEK 773

22.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$155 SEK 1,432

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$715 SEK 6,627

113.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$683 SEK 6,333

78.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$1,151 SEK 10.7K

142.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$1,008 SEK 9,344

101.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$3,139 SEK 29.1K

125.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$2,673 SEK 24.8K

81.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$2,646 SEK 24.5K

-9.13%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $715 in Karlskrona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona pays 10% 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 $69.0 in Karlskrona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $356 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 34% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,750 including rent). Karlskrona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Karlskrona earns 10% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $715 in Karlskrona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $145 in Karlskrona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,750 in Karlskrona versus $2,341 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 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.