Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Linkoping Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Linkoping

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,792 in Linkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,862 in Linkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,932 in Linkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than Linkoping, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$12.92 SEK 121

36.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.6 SEK 653

-1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.63 SEK 99.7

32.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.46 SEK 41.79

-37.67%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.77 SEK 25.99

1.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.42 SEK 22.70

-14.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.30 SEK 68.5

-38.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.30 SEK 68.5

-36.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.76 SEK 16.54

-29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.23 SEK 30.30

-37.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.95 SEK 37.04

-51.39%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.07 SEK 38.16

-18.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.86 SEK 130

32.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.68 SEK 110

-18.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$15.83 SEK 149

21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.53 SEK 33.15

-25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.65 SEK 24.89

-7.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.56 SEK 14.59

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.74 SEK 53.9

-50.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.54 SEK 14.44

32.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.07 SEK 19.37

-10.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.79 SEK 26.13

-47.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.72 SEK 16.14

-51.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.48 SEK 70.1

-4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.70 SEK 100

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.70 SEK 15.92

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.90 SEK 17.86

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.43 SEK 32.17

-13.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$78.9 SEK 740

-62.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$14.63 SEK 137

-68.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.65 SEK 15.44

25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$21.41 SEK 201

36.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.91 SEK 17.91

-3.66%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.3K SEK 302.7K

20.88%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.9K SEK 318.2K

-3.64%

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

$188 €162

$89.9 SEK 843

108.85%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$28.23 SEK 265

-18.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$37.26 SEK 349

-1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$43.79 SEK 411

31.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$53.5 SEK 502

-61.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$16.01 SEK 150

-30.11%

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

$721 €621

$144 SEK 1,347

402.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$743 SEK 6,966

1925.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$106 SEK 995

-18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$43.78 SEK 411

-15.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$114 SEK 1,072

-10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$159 SEK 1,488

-26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$812 SEK 7,618

88.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$638 SEK 5,979

91.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,287 SEK 12.1K

109.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,079 SEK 10.1K

86.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$4,863 SEK 45.6K

48.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$2,997 SEK 28.1K

73.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$2,849 SEK 26.7K

-17.20%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Linkoping: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $812 in Linkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Linkoping pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Linkoping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $372 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 Linkoping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Linkoping differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,792 including rent). Linkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Linkoping earns 21% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $812 in Linkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $144 in Linkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,792 in Linkoping versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Linkoping but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Linkoping 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 Linkoping 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 Linkoping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.