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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,609 in Ludvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,693 in Ludvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,776 in Ludvika.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 54% more expensive than in Ludvika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Ludvika 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$14.25 SEK 140

31.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$66.0 SEK 651

5.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.43 SEK 103

32.02%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.48 SEK 44.19

-30.80%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.73 SEK 26.88

3.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.21 SEK 21.81

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.15 SEK 70.5

-44.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.20 SEK 70.9

-37.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.80 SEK 17.74

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.65 SEK 26.11

-18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.88 SEK 38.21

-54.64%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.11 SEK 50.4

0.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.63 SEK 134

31.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$13.65 SEK 135

-29.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$28.45 SEK 280

-29.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.22 SEK 31.77

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$3.35 SEK 32.98

-33.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.67 SEK 36.19

-29.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.22 SEK 41.54

-34.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.51 SEK 14.87

46.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.74 SEK 17.18

21.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.30 SEK 22.62

-32.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.56 SEK 15.42

-39.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.42 SEK 73.1

-1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.27 SEK 101

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.96 SEK 19.35

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.34 SEK 23.02

19.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$13.07 SEK 129

-74.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.08 SEK 20.53

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$82.8 SEK 816

-58.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.80 SEK 17.75

-3.89%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.0K SEK 335.4K

6.85%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.3K SEK 327.8K

-8.17%

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

$187 €163

$103 SEK 1,017

81.21%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$20.30 SEK 200

-25.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$47.77 SEK 471

-21.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$30.66 SEK 302

82.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$51.3 SEK 506

-66.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$16.61 SEK 164

-31.31%

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

$997 €869

$219 SEK 2,156

355.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$99.4 SEK 980

-6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$54.8 SEK 540

-24.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$98.0 SEK 966

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$216 SEK 2,131

-42.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$466 SEK 4,596

266.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$440 SEK 4,339

192.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$984 SEK 9,695

160.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$996 SEK 9,818

94.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,781 SEK 37.3K

-37.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.2

-1.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $466 in Ludvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ludvika pays 61% 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 $66.0 in Ludvika. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $418, 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 54% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,609 including rent). Ludvika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 61% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $466 in Ludvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $219 in Ludvika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ludvika – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,609 in Ludvika versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 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 54% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.