Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karlstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Karlstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,787 in Karlstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,727 in Karlstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,666 in Karlstad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 39% more expensive than in Karlstad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Karlstad 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$15.27 SEK 150

22.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$80.9 SEK 797

-14.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.38 SEK 102

32.66%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.93 SEK 48.57

-37.12%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.55 SEK 25.09

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.05 SEK 20.17

-8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$8.13 SEK 80.1

-51.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$6.58 SEK 64.8

-31.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.53 SEK 15.12

-16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.88 SEK 28.38

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.70 SEK 36.51

-52.43%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$4.55 SEK 44.82

12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.25 SEK 101

74.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$14.40 SEK 142

-32.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$18.10 SEK 178

11.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.00 SEK 29.58

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.70 SEK 26.58

-17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.14 SEK 30.90

-17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$5.50 SEK 54.2

-49.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.80 SEK 17.78

22.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.74 SEK 17.13

21.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.70 SEK 26.63

-42.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.34 SEK 13.23

-29.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.08 SEK 69.8

3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.15 SEK 100

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.44 SEK 24.00

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.06 SEK 20.28

35.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.26 SEK 32.12

-4.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$81.4 SEK 802

-68.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$5.65 SEK 55.7

-42.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.35 SEK 13.30

9.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$63.5 SEK 626

-46.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.83 SEK 18.04

-5.46%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.0K SEK 334.9K

7.00%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.0K SEK 325.5K

-7.53%

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

$187 €163

$102 SEK 1,005

83.50%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$18.84 SEK 186

-19.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$44.60 SEK 440

-15.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$46.80 SEK 461

19.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$17.06 SEK 168

0.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$14.73 SEK 145

-22.54%

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

$997 €869

$132 SEK 1,298

656.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$93.2 SEK 918

-0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$40.89 SEK 403

0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$75.5 SEK 744

47.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$146 SEK 1,435

-14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$880 SEK 8,673

93.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$596 SEK 5,873

115.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,219 SEK 12.0K

110.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$861 SEK 8,485

125.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,869 SEK 38.1K

97.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,857 SEK 28.2K

80.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,074 SEK 30.3K

-23.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.94

-19.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $880 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlstad pays 31% 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 $81.0 in Karlstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $378 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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Karlstad differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,787 including rent). Karlstad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Karlstad. 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 $880 in Karlstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $132 in Karlstad. 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 $1,787 in Karlstad versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlstad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Karlstad 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 Karlstad 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 Karlstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.