Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,865 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,060 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,256 in Lulea.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 24% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$12.56 SEK 121

40.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$94.6 SEK 914

-26.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$11.60 SEK 112

22.07%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.87 SEK 47.06

-42.51%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.55 SEK 24.63

10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.97 SEK 19.07

4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$8.57 SEK 82.8

-46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$9.97 SEK 96.3

-52.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.93 SEK 18.70

-36.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.42 SEK 33.08

-40.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$5.07 SEK 49.01

-60.95%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.74 SEK 45.84

-26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$12.76 SEK 123

43.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$14.05 SEK 136

-30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$28.00 SEK 271

-31.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.61 SEK 25.23

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.76 SEK 26.67

-13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.60 SEK 25.10

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.36 SEK 42.18

-36.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.23 SEK 21.55

-12.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.66 SEK 16.00

7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.48 SEK 33.62

-57.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.44 SEK 13.88

-36.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$7.42 SEK 71.7

-3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$12.34 SEK 119

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.88 SEK 18.21

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.85 SEK 17.93

29.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$3.36 SEK 32.46

-10.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$58.3 SEK 564

-49.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$9.54 SEK 92.2

-54.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.73 SEK 16.73

23.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$74.5 SEK 720

-60.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.89 SEK 18.27

-3.70%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

17.72%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$35.7K SEK 344.8K

-9.21%

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

$189 €165

$176 SEK 1,697

7.67%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$31.87 SEK 308

-30.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$28.56 SEK 276

30.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$48.58 SEK 470

19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$36.54 SEK 353

-43.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$13.73 SEK 133

-20.83%

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

$706 €618

$163 SEK 1,571

334.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,827 SEK 56.3K

155.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$124 SEK 1,194

-27.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$33.60 SEK 325

8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$130 SEK 1,256

-19.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$170 SEK 1,648

-29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$806 SEK 7,789

95.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$589 SEK 5,693

110.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

88.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

88.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$3,107 SEK 30.0K

142.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,323 SEK 22.5K

125.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$2,654 SEK 25.7K

-10.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.2

-19.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 12% 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 $95.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $426 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lulea differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,865 including rent). Lulea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Lulea. 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 $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $163 in Lulea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea 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 Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.