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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,639 in Karlskrona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,583 in Karlskrona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,528 in Karlskrona.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 51% more expensive than in Karlskrona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Karlskrona 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$13.36 SEK 132

40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$67.3 SEK 663

3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.46 SEK 93.2

45.56%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.09 SEK 40.27

-24.21%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.35 SEK 13.29

109.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.28 SEK 22.49

-17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.32 SEK 72.2

-45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.14 SEK 50.7

-11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.48 SEK 14.55

-14.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.71 SEK 26.75

-20.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.74 SEK 36.84

-52.94%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$4.61 SEK 45.44

11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.87 SEK 107

64.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$13.28 SEK 131

-27.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$17.32 SEK 171

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.15 SEK 30.99

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.37 SEK 23.33

-5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.95 SEK 29.10

-11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.55 SEK 44.87

-39.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.51 SEK 14.89

46.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.51 SEK 14.91

40.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.15 SEK 21.19

-27.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.47 SEK 14.51

-35.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.15 SEK 70.5

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.79 SEK 126

-37.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.97 SEK 19.43

-21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.76 SEK 17.30

58.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.03 SEK 29.91

2.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$73.5 SEK 725

-64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$13.58 SEK 134

-75.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.00 SEK 19.76

-26.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$82.2 SEK 810

-58.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.71 SEK 16.84

1.17%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.2K SEK 327.0K

9.59%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.4K SEK 329.3K

-8.59%

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

$187 €163

$52.6 SEK 518

255.60%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$28.34 SEK 279

-46.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$37.87 SEK 373

-0.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$42.28 SEK 417

32.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$24.72 SEK 244

-30.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$16.62 SEK 164

-31.35%

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

$997 €869

$164 SEK 1,618

507.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$98.9 SEK 975

-6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$20.68 SEK 204

99.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$81.8 SEK 806

35.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$178 SEK 1,756

-29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$686 SEK 6,762

148.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$597 SEK 5,879

115.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,140 SEK 11.2K

124.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$963 SEK 9,494

101.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,944 SEK 29.0K

159.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,555 SEK 25.2K

102.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,546 SEK 25.1K

-7.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.22

-25.12%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $686 in Karlskrona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona pays 8% 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 $67.0 in Karlskrona. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $364, 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 51% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,639 including rent). Karlskrona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $686 in Karlskrona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $164 in Karlskrona. 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 $1,639 in Karlskrona versus $2,476 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 51% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.