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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,597 in Ludvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,659 in Ludvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,721 in Ludvika.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 48% more expensive than Ludvika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Ludvika 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$13.30 SEK 125

32.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$67.2 SEK 632

1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.35 SEK 97.2

35.85%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.70 SEK 44.10

-40.85%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.69 SEK 25.28

4.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.49 SEK 23.42

-17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.32 SEK 68.8

-39.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.46 SEK 70.1

-38.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.78 SEK 16.73

-30.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.81 SEK 26.41

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.02 SEK 37.80

-52.24%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.03 SEK 37.86

-17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.00 SEK 132

31.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$14.79 SEK 139

-35.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.67 SEK 147

22.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.56 SEK 33.41

-25.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.60 SEK 24.46

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.80 SEK 35.68

-44.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.39 SEK 41.25

-35.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.49 SEK 13.97

36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.12 SEK 19.96

-12.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.70 SEK 25.38

-45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.59 SEK 14.90

-47.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.23 SEK 67.9

-1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.82 SEK 102

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.80 SEK 16.87

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.89 SEK 17.78

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.20 SEK 30.06

-6.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$54.6 SEK 513

-46.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$14.73 SEK 138

-68.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.58 SEK 14.86

31.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$21.02 SEK 197

38.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.88 SEK 17.66

-2.13%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.1K SEK 311.1K

17.81%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.2K SEK 321.7K

-4.51%

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

$188 €162

$89.1 SEK 837

110.77%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$21.23 SEK 199

8.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$36.07 SEK 339

1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$31.44 SEK 295

82.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$52.7 SEK 495

-60.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$15.80 SEK 148

-29.18%

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

$721 €621

$142 SEK 1,334

407.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$741 SEK 6,958

1930.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$105 SEK 989

-18.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$43.97 SEK 413

-15.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$116 SEK 1,087

-11.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$155 SEK 1,451

-24.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$483 SEK 4,540

217.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$458 SEK 4,306

166.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$997 SEK 9,365

170.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$986 SEK 9,266

104.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$4,079 SEK 38.3K

-42.16%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $483 in Ludvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ludvika pays 73% 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 $67.0 in Ludvika. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $385, 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 Ludvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ludvika differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,597 including rent). Ludvika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ludvika earns 73% 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 $483 in Ludvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $142 in Ludvika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,597 in Ludvika versus $2,367 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 48% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.