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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,872 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,058 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,244 in Lulea.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Lulea 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.22

$12.34 SEK 120

51.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.1

$96.3 SEK 940

-27.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.92

$11.55 SEK 113

19.22%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$4.50 SEK 43.88

-31.11%

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

$2.83 €2.45

$2.61 SEK 25.46

8.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.63

$1.96 SEK 19.10

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.45

$8.72 SEK 85.1

-54.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.92

$9.71 SEK 94.7

-53.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.80 SEK 17.58

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$3.32 SEK 32.39

-34.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$5.01 SEK 48.86

-64.87%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.44

$4.66 SEK 45.49

10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.48

$12.68 SEK 124

41.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.36

$13.51 SEK 132

-28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.44

$26.47 SEK 258

-23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.82

$2.51 SEK 24.48

29.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.93

$2.65 SEK 25.88

-15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$2.54 SEK 24.74

2.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.39

$4.34 SEK 42.32

-36.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.16 SEK 21.07

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.61 SEK 15.67

31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$3.35 SEK 32.69

-53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.32 SEK 12.92

-28.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.36

$6.94 SEK 67.7

5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.97

$12.23 SEK 119

-34.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.79 SEK 17.47

-13.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.42

$1.82 SEK 17.76

53.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.69

$3.35 SEK 32.71

-7.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.39

$57.5 SEK 561

-55.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.83

$9.38 SEK 91.6

-65.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.28

$2.11 SEK 20.55

-29.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.67

$70.7 SEK 690

-51.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.72 SEK 16.76

0.58%

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

$36.4K €31.5K

$33.1K SEK 323.2K

9.82%

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

$30.5K €26.4K

$35.0K SEK 341.2K

-12.66%

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

$187 €162

$171 SEK 1,668

9.48%

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

$15.14 €13.11

$31.66 SEK 309

-52.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.62

$26.80 SEK 262

40.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.43

$47.93 SEK 468

16.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.79

$35.74 SEK 349

-52.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.88

$13.39 SEK 131

-14.79%

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

$997 €863

$156 SEK 1,525

537.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$5,572 SEK 54.4K

196.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.2

$123 SEK 1,205

-24.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.69

$33.51 SEK 327

23.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.3

$127 SEK 1,234

-12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$164 SEK 1,599

-23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,478

$804 SEK 7,842

112.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,113

$601 SEK 5,869

113.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,221

$1,458 SEK 14.2K

75.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,681

$1,100 SEK 10.7K

76.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,620

$3,121 SEK 30.5K

144.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,473

$2,309 SEK 22.5K

123.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,033

$2,579 SEK 25.2K

-8.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.85

-17.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lulea: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $804 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 10% 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 $96.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $411 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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,872 including rent). Lulea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $804 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $156 in Lulea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,872 in Lulea versus $2,476 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.