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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,737 in Karlskrona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,628 in Karlskrona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,519 in Karlskrona.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 35% more expensive than Karlskrona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Karlskrona 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$13.30 SEK 125

28.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$68.1 SEK 639

1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$9.36 SEK 87.8

47.22%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.91 SEK 36.65

-29.41%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.45 SEK 13.63

92.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.42 SEK 22.67

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.43 SEK 69.7

-41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$5.32 SEK 49.90

-10.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.59 SEK 14.88

-18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.92 SEK 27.41

-29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.82 SEK 35.80

-47.91%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.89 SEK 36.49

-12.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$11.35 SEK 106

65.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$11.92 SEK 112

-21.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$16.01 SEK 150

19.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.12 SEK 29.24

-13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.48 SEK 23.28

-5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.06 SEK 28.72

-30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.45 SEK 41.71

-35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.57 SEK 14.70

25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.62 SEK 15.16

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.24 SEK 21.03

-35.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.46 SEK 13.68

-41.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.25 SEK 68.0

-6.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$13.48 SEK 126

-41.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.05 SEK 19.27

-32.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.80 SEK 16.89

31.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.87 SEK 26.90

1.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$63.7 SEK 598

-54.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$14.54 SEK 136

-69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.65 SEK 15.44

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$21.00 SEK 197

40.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.85 SEK 17.34

-1.62%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$32.1K SEK 301.2K

20.93%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$34.7K SEK 325.3K

-4.55%

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

$189 €163

$54.2 SEK 508

249.26%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$28.43 SEK 267

-19.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$36.28 SEK 340

3.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$43.33 SEK 406

33.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$24.09 SEK 226

-13.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$17.15 SEK 161

-36.91%

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

$728 €628

$146 SEK 1,367

399.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$745 SEK 6,988

1883.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$107 SEK 1,000

-16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$20.85 SEK 196

76.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$84.3 SEK 791

21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$158 SEK 1,481

-26.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$699 SEK 6,555

124.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$704 SEK 6,608

72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,162 SEK 10.9K

140.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$990 SEK 9,287

99.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,023 SEK 28.4K

156.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,671 SEK 25.1K

93.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,664 SEK 25.0K

-12.04%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $699 in Karlskrona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona pays 14% 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 $68.0 in Karlskrona. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $358, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 35% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,737 including rent). Karlskrona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Karlskrona earns 14% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $699 in Karlskrona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $146 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 $1,737 in Karlskrona versus $2,337 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 35% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.