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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,831 in Linkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,843 in Linkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,856 in Linkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in Linkoping, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Linkoping 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.94 SEK 125

36.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$67.6 SEK 655

3.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.76 SEK 104

31.60%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.67 SEK 45.22

-40.04%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.83 SEK 27.38

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.39 SEK 23.19

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.25 SEK 70.2

-36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.30 SEK 70.7

-35.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.79 SEK 17.36

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.08 SEK 29.86

-34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.96 SEK 38.38

-50.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.99 SEK 38.65

-12.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.94 SEK 135

31.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.70 SEK 113

-15.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.86 SEK 154

20.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.69 SEK 35.71

-26.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.61 SEK 25.26

-8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.61 SEK 15.62

29.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$5.61 SEK 54.4

-50.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.49 SEK 14.40

31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.09 SEK 20.21

-14.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.74 SEK 26.48

-45.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.67 SEK 16.18

-45.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.46 SEK 72.2

-4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$10.38 SEK 101

-24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.78 SEK 17.19

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.97 SEK 19.04

21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.39 SEK 32.84

-11.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$79.6 SEK 771

-63.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$14.54 SEK 141

-70.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.60 SEK 15.50

33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$21.25 SEK 206

39.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.00 SEK 19.34

-9.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.8K SEK 317.6K

15.49%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$34.0K SEK 329.1K

-4.75%

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

$189 €166

$88.4 SEK 856

113.86%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.60 SEK 277

-22.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$36.82 SEK 357

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$42.81 SEK 415

35.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$54.4 SEK 526

-61.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$16.06 SEK 156

-32.32%

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

$706 €618

$142 SEK 1,371

398.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$734 SEK 7,105

1925.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$103 SEK 996

-13.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$44.54 SEK 431

-17.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$116 SEK 1,125

-10.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$157 SEK 1,519

-23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$828 SEK 8,019

90.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$646 SEK 6,254

91.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,272 SEK 12.3K

113.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,090 SEK 10.6K

87.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,608 SEK 44.6K

63.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,826 SEK 27.4K

85.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,753 SEK 26.7K

-14.13%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Linkoping: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $828 in Linkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Linkoping pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Linkoping. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $370, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,831 including rent). Linkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Linkoping. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $828 in Linkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $142 in Linkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,831 in Linkoping versus $2,320 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 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.