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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,780 in Kista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,756 in Kista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,732 in Kista.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than in Kista, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Kista 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$13.69 SEK 132

25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$73.1 SEK 705

-6.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$10.52 SEK 101

29.66%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$4.60 SEK 44.34

-39.57%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$2.70 SEK 25.99

4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.50 SEK 24.07

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$7.86 SEK 75.8

-43.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$7.18 SEK 69.3

-35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.62 SEK 15.59

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.74 SEK 26.46

-22.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$3.80 SEK 36.65

-47.63%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$4.24 SEK 40.86

-20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$11.84 SEK 114

60.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$11.58 SEK 112

-17.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$17.16 SEK 165

9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.20 SEK 30.89

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.71 SEK 26.09

-13.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$3.10 SEK 29.90

-32.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$4.39 SEK 42.35

-37.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.62 SEK 15.62

20.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.80 SEK 17.31

0.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.58 SEK 24.89

-41.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.51 SEK 14.59

-41.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$7.27 SEK 70.1

-6.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$9.83 SEK 94.8

-19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.91 SEK 18.44

-28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.90 SEK 18.30

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$3.42 SEK 33.01

-14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$74.1 SEK 715

-61.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$6.38 SEK 61.6

-28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.60 SEK 15.47

27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$63.1 SEK 608

-54.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.90 SEK 18.35

-4.21%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

22.18%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$34.0K SEK 327.8K

-4.50%

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

$187 €163

$114 SEK 1,101

63.45%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$28.54 SEK 275

-21.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$36.96 SEK 356

-1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$40.39 SEK 389

42.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$25.40 SEK 245

-18.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$15.61 SEK 150

-31.01%

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

$725 €632

$145 SEK 1,400

399.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$4,118 SEK 39.7K

267.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$94.1 SEK 907

-6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$40.14 SEK 387

-8.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$99.0 SEK 954

4.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$154 SEK 1,482

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$835 SEK 8,049

82.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$645 SEK 6,222

90.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$1,381 SEK 13.3K

97.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

83.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$4,281 SEK 41.3K

74.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$3,076 SEK 29.7K

70.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.53

-25.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kista: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $835 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $73.0 in Kista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $357 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,780 including rent). Kista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $2,669 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $835 in Kista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $145 in Kista. 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 $1,780 in Kista versus $2,359 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 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.