Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kista Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kista

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,810 in Kista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,845 in Kista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,880 in Kista.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kista, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Kista 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$13.79 SEK 134

33.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$77.9 SEK 755

-10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$10.52 SEK 102

33.56%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.82 SEK 46.77

-35.48%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.79 SEK 27.05

6.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.32 SEK 22.47

-15.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$8.13 SEK 78.9

-50.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$8.29 SEK 80.4

-44.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.79 SEK 17.31

-26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.93 SEK 28.43

-27.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$4.11 SEK 39.87

-55.47%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$5.05 SEK 48.92

2.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$12.15 SEK 118

44.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$12.58 SEK 122

-24.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$16.05 SEK 156

24.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.79 SEK 27.09

13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.58 SEK 25.05

-14.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.56 SEK 34.52

-26.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.29 SEK 41.63

-33.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.78 SEK 17.29

21.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.51 SEK 14.68

39.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.08 SEK 20.12

-22.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.43 SEK 13.84

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$7.53 SEK 73.0

-4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$11.44 SEK 111

-27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.00 SEK 19.42

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.34 SEK 22.72

17.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.41 SEK 33.01

-7.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$79.5 SEK 770

-66.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$6.49 SEK 62.9

-50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.87 SEK 18.16

-19.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$59.5 SEK 577

-40.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.80 SEK 17.45

-2.78%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$30.2K SEK 292.8K

21.36%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$34.0K SEK 329.4K

-6.80%

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

$187 €161

$107 SEK 1,038

74.73%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$27.69 SEK 268

-45.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$39.99 SEK 388

-5.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$39.75 SEK 385

39.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$25.64 SEK 249

-34.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$16.83 SEK 163

-30.42%

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

$1,011 €871

$150 SEK 1,456

572.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$4,803 SEK 46.6K

255.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$84.9 SEK 823

7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$44.03 SEK 427

-6.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$99.6 SEK 965

11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$138 SEK 1,334

-8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$765 SEK 7,414

122.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$560 SEK 5,425

132.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,311 SEK 12.7K

97.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,173 SEK 11.4K

64.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$4,131 SEK 40.0K

87.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,897 SEK 28.1K

85.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.42

-7.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kista: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $765 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $78.0 in Kista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $368 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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kista differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,810 including rent). Kista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $2,715 in Kista to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $765 in Kista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $150 in Kista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,810 in Kista versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kista but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kista 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 Kista 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 Kista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.