Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ludvika Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ludvika

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,578 in Ludvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,644 in Ludvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,710 in Ludvika.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 47% more expensive than in Ludvika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ludvika 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$13.12 SEK 127

34.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$69.9 SEK 676

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.66 SEK 103

32.83%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.60 SEK 44.54

-39.13%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.72 SEK 26.29

3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.49 SEK 24.13

-17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.22 SEK 69.9

-36.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.55 SEK 73.1

-37.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.86 SEK 18.05

-33.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.81 SEK 27.24

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.04 SEK 39.09

-50.99%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.87 SEK 37.43

-9.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.90 SEK 135

31.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$14.90 SEK 144

-34.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.79 SEK 153

21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.51 SEK 34.01

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.59 SEK 25.10

-8.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.76 SEK 36.42

-44.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.34 SEK 42.03

-36.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.50 SEK 14.54

30.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.17 SEK 21.03

-17.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.67 SEK 25.81

-44.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.58 SEK 15.28

-42.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.46 SEK 72.2

-4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$10.24 SEK 99.1

-23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.71 SEK 16.52

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.92 SEK 18.55

24.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.11 SEK 30.07

-3.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$54.8 SEK 531

-46.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$14.39 SEK 139

-69.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.64 SEK 15.91

29.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$20.84 SEK 202

42.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.80 SEK 17.45

1.11%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.8K SEK 317.9K

15.39%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$34.2K SEK 330.9K

-5.26%

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

$189 €166

$88.9 SEK 861

112.58%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$21.40 SEK 207

4.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$36.39 SEK 352

2.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$32.17 SEK 311

80.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$53.6 SEK 519

-61.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$16.00 SEK 155

-32.06%

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

$706 €618

$143 SEK 1,386

393.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$748 SEK 7,237

1888.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$106 SEK 1,028

-15.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$43.50 SEK 421

-15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$115 SEK 1,114

-9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$155 SEK 1,497

-22.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$465 SEK 4,505

239.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$447 SEK 4,329

176.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,012 SEK 9,800

167.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$989 SEK 9,578

106.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$3,924 SEK 38.0K

-39.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $465 in Ludvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ludvika pays 66% 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 $70.0 in Ludvika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $383 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 Ludvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ludvika differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,578 including rent). Ludvika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Ludvika. 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 $465 in Ludvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $143 in Ludvika. 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 $1,578 in Ludvika versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ludvika but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ludvika 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 Ludvika 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 Ludvika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.