Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marsta Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marsta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,790 in Marsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,746 in Marsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,703 in Marsta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than in Marsta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Marsta 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$13.37 SEK 127

28.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$69.6 SEK 662

-2.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$10.39 SEK 98.7

31.28%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.46 SEK 42.39

-37.67%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.10 SEK 19.93

34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.87 SEK 17.81

4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$7.29 SEK 69.2

-39.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$7.53 SEK 71.5

-38.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.80 SEK 17.06

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.07 SEK 29.20

-30.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.02 SEK 38.22

-50.50%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.69 SEK 35.06

-8.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$13.91 SEK 132

36.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$9.56 SEK 90.9

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$15.92 SEK 151

17.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.61 SEK 34.25

-26.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.70 SEK 25.67

-12.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.18 SEK 30.20

-34.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.87 SEK 36.81

-29.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.51 SEK 14.32

29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.60 SEK 15.20

13.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.75 SEK 26.13

-45.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.74 SEK 16.56

-48.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.48 SEK 71.0

-9.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.31 SEK 98.0

-23.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.70 SEK 16.14

-19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.98 SEK 18.77

21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$4.26 SEK 40.50

-31.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$102 SEK 971

-71.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$12.06 SEK 115

-62.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.64 SEK 15.57

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$58.9 SEK 560

-51.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.91 SEK 18.10

-4.71%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$33.0K SEK 313.8K

19.04%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.4K SEK 327.2K

-5.70%

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

$187 €162

$88.4 SEK 839

111.22%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$27.99 SEK 266

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$35.99 SEK 342

1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$28.76 SEK 273

100.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$25.60 SEK 243

-18.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$15.86 SEK 151

-32.09%

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

$725 €628

$143 SEK 1,362

405.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$726 SEK 6,898

1986.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$80.0 SEK 760

9.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$43.89 SEK 417

-16.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$98.4 SEK 935

5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$107 SEK 1,017

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$843 SEK 8,012

80.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$653 SEK 6,202

87.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,398 SEK 13.3K

95.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,088 SEK 10.3K

82.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,464 SEK 42.4K

67.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$3,186 SEK 30.3K

64.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$4,806 SEK 45.7K

-50.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.53

-25.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Marsta: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $843 in Marsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 101% 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 $70.0 in Marsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $356 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 Marsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Marsta differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,790 including rent). Marsta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Marsta. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $843 in Marsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $143 in Marsta. 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 $1,790 in Marsta versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Marsta but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Marsta 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 Marsta 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 Marsta 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.