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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,797 in Kista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,818 in Kista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,838 in Kista.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than Kista, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Kista 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$13.28 SEK 125

28.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$73.4 SEK 689

-5.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$10.41 SEK 97.7

32.37%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.74 SEK 44.50

-41.77%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.78 SEK 26.06

0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.41 SEK 22.58

-17.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.91 SEK 74.2

-44.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.58 SEK 71.1

-37.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.62 SEK 15.21

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.83 SEK 26.51

-27.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.88 SEK 36.42

-48.71%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.26 SEK 39.96

-20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$12.12 SEK 114

55.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$11.89 SEK 112

-21.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$16.94 SEK 159

12.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.16 SEK 29.61

-14.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.58 SEK 24.25

-9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.10 SEK 29.05

-31.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.32 SEK 40.52

-34.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.64 SEK 15.42

20.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.77 SEK 16.62

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.61 SEK 24.50

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.53 SEK 14.32

-43.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.30 SEK 68.5

-7.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.33 SEK 87.5

-15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.97 SEK 18.51

-29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.96 SEK 18.41

20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$3.48 SEK 32.62

-16.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$72.6 SEK 681

-60.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.24 SEK 58.6

-28.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.64 SEK 15.36

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$62.4 SEK 585

-52.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.97 SEK 18.46

-7.61%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$32.0K SEK 299.8K

21.50%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$33.8K SEK 317.2K

-2.11%

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

$189 €163

$115 SEK 1,081

64.19%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$28.56 SEK 268

-20.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$36.92 SEK 346

1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$40.61 SEK 381

42.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$25.55 SEK 240

-18.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$16.03 SEK 150

-32.50%

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

$728 €628

$149 SEK 1,401

387.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,113 SEK 38.6K

259.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$94.3 SEK 884

-5.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$40.09 SEK 376

-8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$95.8 SEK 899

6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$154 SEK 1,440

-24.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$832 SEK 7,807

88.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$644 SEK 6,044

89.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,395 SEK 13.1K

100.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,071 SEK 10.0K

84.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,549 SEK 42.7K

70.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,994 SEK 28.1K

72.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kista: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $832 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $73.0 in Kista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $359 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,797 including rent). Kista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $2,696 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $832 in Kista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $149 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 $1,797 in Kista versus $2,337 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.