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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,750 in Linkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,802 in Linkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,853 in Linkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 43% more expensive than in Linkoping, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Linkoping 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$13.65 SEK 131

34.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$66.6 SEK 637

3.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$10.60 SEK 101

33.30%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$4.55 SEK 43.48

-31.21%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.77 SEK 26.51

9.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.23 SEK 21.33

-12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.16 SEK 68.5

-44.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$7.52 SEK 71.9

-36.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.80 SEK 17.18

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.74 SEK 26.22

-21.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.15 SEK 30.11

-46.35%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.97 SEK 37.94

24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$12.24 SEK 117

46.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$11.99 SEK 115

-19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$17.78 SEK 170

8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.15 SEK 30.14

2.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.63 SEK 25.19

-17.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.03 SEK 19.40

31.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$4.53 SEK 43.37

-38.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.53 SEK 14.68

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.73 SEK 16.59

26.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.09 SEK 20.03

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.72 SEK 16.48

-46.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$7.33 SEK 70.1

-2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$10.37 SEK 99.2

-21.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.02 SEK 19.30

-25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.36 SEK 22.61

17.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.52 SEK 33.67

-10.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$80.3 SEK 768

-66.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$6.41 SEK 61.3

-49.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.73 SEK 16.56

-13.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$60.9 SEK 582

-42.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.84 SEK 17.63

-4.89%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$35.0K SEK 334.3K

4.89%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$34.2K SEK 327.2K

-9.55%

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

$188 €161

$109 SEK 1,042

72.26%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$19.78 SEK 189

-21.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$36.23 SEK 347

4.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$40.01 SEK 383

42.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$35.08 SEK 336

-52.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$16.67 SEK 159

-30.53%

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

$1,003 €863

$226 SEK 2,165

343.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$4,531 SEK 43.3K

275.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$91.1 SEK 871

-2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$34.74 SEK 332

17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$96.1 SEK 920

14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$137 SEK 1,311

-10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$842 SEK 8,051

98.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$601 SEK 5,747

121.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,299 SEK 12.4K

99.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,219 SEK 11.7K

59.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$4,563 SEK 43.6K

65.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$2,836 SEK 27.1K

89.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$2,705 SEK 25.9K

-11.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.06

3.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Linkoping: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $842 in Linkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Linkoping pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $67.0 in Linkoping. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $359, 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 43% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,750 including rent). Linkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $842 in Linkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $226 in Linkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,750 in Linkoping versus $2,495 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 43% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.