Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,904 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,030 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,156 in Lund.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 22% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Lund 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.55 SEK 121

40.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$85.3 SEK 826

-18.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$12.20 SEK 118

16.07%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.85 SEK 46.99

-42.27%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.81 SEK 27.17

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.05 SEK 19.83

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$8.22 SEK 79.6

-44.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.32 SEK 70.9

-35.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.60 SEK 15.45

-23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.21 SEK 21.37

-8.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.02 SEK 29.20

-34.44%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.55 SEK 44.09

-23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.12 SEK 127

39.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.78 SEK 114

-16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$17.28 SEK 167

10.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.18 SEK 30.75

-14.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.77 SEK 26.86

-14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.77 SEK 26.80

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.55 SEK 44.01

-39.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.66 SEK 16.03

18.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.58 SEK 15.27

13.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.60 SEK 25.18

-43.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.27 SEK 12.31

-28.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$8.18 SEK 79.2

-12.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.23 SEK 109

-29.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.96 SEK 19.01

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.24 SEK 21.67

6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.34 SEK 32.38

-9.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$67.4 SEK 653

-56.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$5.40 SEK 52.3

-19.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.88 SEK 18.24

13.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$63.0 SEK 610

-53.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.90 SEK 18.43

-4.21%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.7K SEK 316.5K

15.90%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$34.1K SEK 330.5K

-5.13%

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

$189 €166

$122 SEK 1,181

55.01%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.99 SEK 281

-23.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$41.22 SEK 399

-9.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$38.68 SEK 374

50.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$24.09 SEK 233

-14.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$18.17 SEK 176

-40.18%

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

$706 €618

$179 SEK 1,733

294.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,129 SEK 40.0K

260.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$80.3 SEK 778

11.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$60.1 SEK 582

-39.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$104 SEK 1,004

0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$130 SEK 1,261

-8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$981 SEK 9,498

60.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$763 SEK 7,383

62.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

67.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,307 SEK 12.7K

56.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$6,408 SEK 62.0K

17.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,682 SEK 35.6K

42.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,972 SEK 28.8K

-20.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.8

-29.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lund: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $981 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 26% 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 $85.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $355 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 Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lund differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,904 including rent). Lund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Lund. 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 $981 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $179 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,904 in Lund versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lund 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 Lund 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 Lund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.