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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,669 in Marsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,655 in Marsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,640 in Marsta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 48% more expensive than in Marsta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Marsta 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$13.49 SEK 133

38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$68.5 SEK 675

1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.34 SEK 102

33.17%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.59 SEK 45.26

-32.46%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.07 SEK 20.37

36.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.93 SEK 18.99

-2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.25 SEK 71.4

-45.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.40 SEK 72.9

-38.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.82 SEK 17.90

-30.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.22 SEK 31.78

-32.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$5.47 SEK 53.9

-67.82%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.83 SEK 37.70

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$14.13 SEK 139

26.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$9.14 SEK 90.0

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$17.61 SEK 173

14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.15 SEK 31.06

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.66 SEK 26.23

-16.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.04 SEK 20.14

27.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.94 SEK 38.85

-29.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.49 SEK 14.72

48.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.58 SEK 15.56

34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.04 SEK 20.15

-24.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.92 SEK 18.89

-50.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.15 SEK 70.5

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.51 SEK 104

-23.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.01 SEK 19.79

-23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.24 SEK 22.10

24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.39 SEK 33.41

-8.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$79.2 SEK 780

-67.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$13.57 SEK 134

-75.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.03 SEK 20.02

-27.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$59.4 SEK 586

-42.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.75 SEK 17.28

-1.14%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$34.7K SEK 341.5K

4.94%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.0K SEK 334.9K

-10.14%

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

$187 €163

$62.5 SEK 616

199.18%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$26.88 SEK 265

-43.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$40.99 SEK 404

-8.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$38.54 SEK 380

45.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$25.52 SEK 251

-33.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$16.34 SEK 161

-30.17%

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

$997 €869

$224 SEK 2,212

344.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,274 SEK 52.0K

213.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$51.9 SEK 511

78.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$30.99 SEK 305

33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$92.3 SEK 910

20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$106 SEK 1,046

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$842 SEK 8,300

102.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$606 SEK 5,974

112.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,379 SEK 13.6K

86.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,074 SEK 10.6K

80.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,179 SEK 41.2K

82.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,874 SEK 28.3K

79.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$4,836 SEK 47.7K

-51.44%

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 Marsta: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $842 in Marsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 106% 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 $69.0 in Marsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $362 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 48% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,669 including rent). Marsta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 106% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $842 in Marsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $224 in Marsta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,669 in Marsta versus $2,476 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 48% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.