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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,797 in Linkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,809 in Linkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,821 in Linkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than Linkoping, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Linkoping 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$13.09 SEK 120

34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$69.5 SEK 639

-2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$10.48 SEK 96.3

33.21%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$4.50 SEK 41.36

-38.67%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$2.68 SEK 24.62

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$2.43 SEK 22.33

-18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$7.60 SEK 69.8

-40.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$7.31 SEK 67.2

-38.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.86 SEK 17.13

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$3.18 SEK 29.19

-35.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$3.95 SEK 36.34

-51.65%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$4.07 SEK 37.39

-16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$13.95 SEK 128

31.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$11.84 SEK 109

-20.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$15.84 SEK 146

19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.50 SEK 32.17

-24.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.62 SEK 24.08

-8.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.56 SEK 14.36

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$5.60 SEK 51.4

-51.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.52 SEK 13.94

34.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.07 SEK 19.00

-14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.74 SEK 25.14

-46.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.73 SEK 15.88

-47.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$7.52 SEK 69.1

-6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$12.86 SEK 118

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.77 SEK 16.25

-18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$1.94 SEK 17.87

19.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$3.58 SEK 32.92

-17.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$79.6 SEK 731

-63.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$14.73 SEK 135

-69.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.66 SEK 15.23

28.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$21.01 SEK 193

37.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.98 SEK 18.16

-4.55%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$32.5K SEK 298.5K

20.18%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$34.6K SEK 317.7K

-6.16%

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

$189 €161

$88.9 SEK 817

112.41%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$28.47 SEK 262

-21.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$36.72 SEK 337

-0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$43.14 SEK 396

34.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$52.6 SEK 483

-59.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$15.85 SEK 146

-30.54%

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

$731 €622

$147 SEK 1,351

397.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$724 SEK 6,653

1948.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$104 SEK 952

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$42.87 SEK 394

-12.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$118 SEK 1,087

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$157 SEK 1,440

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$815 SEK 7,487

90.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$628 SEK 5,771

93.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,289 SEK 11.8K

117.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,111 SEK 10.2K

80.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$4,744 SEK 43.6K

50.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$2,962 SEK 27.2K

69.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$2,890 SEK 26.6K

-14.79%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Linkoping: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $815 in Linkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Linkoping pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $70 in Linkoping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $377 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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,797 including rent). Linkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Linkoping earns 17% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $815 in Linkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $147 in Linkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,797 in Linkoping versus $2,356 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.