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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,802 in Marsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,754 in Marsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,706 in Marsta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than Marsta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Marsta 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$13.22 SEK 123

33.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$68.4 SEK 636

0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$10.60 SEK 98.6

29.72%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.45 SEK 41.37

-37.98%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.17 SEK 20.17

28.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.87 SEK 17.44

9.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$7.41 SEK 68.9

-37.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$7.34 SEK 68.2

-37.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.78 SEK 16.56

-28.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.22 SEK 29.97

-34.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.98 SEK 36.99

-50.50%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.82 SEK 35.55

-9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$14.00 SEK 130

34.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$9.60 SEK 89.3

-1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$15.73 SEK 146

20.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.69 SEK 34.32

-26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.56 SEK 23.82

-7.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$3.14 SEK 29.21

-33.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.99 SEK 37.12

-30.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.52 SEK 14.11

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.62 SEK 15.08

10.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.70 SEK 25.12

-44.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.75 SEK 16.32

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.17 SEK 66.7

-5.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$10.63 SEK 98.9

-28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.79 SEK 16.65

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.88 SEK 17.45

28.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$4.13 SEK 38.40

-26.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$101 SEK 936

-71.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$12.25 SEK 114

-63.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.63 SEK 15.17

25.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$60.0 SEK 558

-51.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.00 SEK 18.62

-5.50%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$33.0K SEK 306.5K

17.55%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$34.3K SEK 318.9K

-5.62%

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

$189 €161

$88.1 SEK 819

114.11%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$28.80 SEK 268

-22.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$36.96 SEK 344

-0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$29.08 SEK 270

99.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$24.91 SEK 232

-15.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$15.84 SEK 147

-30.24%

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

$726 €622

$144 SEK 1,338

404.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$746 SEK 6,936

1941.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$77.7 SEK 723

13.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$42.96 SEK 399

-13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$101 SEK 938

1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$107 SEK 999

10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$855 SEK 7,952

78.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$645 SEK 5,997

88.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,379 SEK 12.8K

102.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,086 SEK 10.1K

86.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,869 SEK 36.0K

83.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,651 SEK 24.7K

82.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$5,003 SEK 46.5K

-51.95%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Marsta: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $855 in Marsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 108% 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 $68.0 in Marsta. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $358, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,802 including rent). Marsta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Marsta earns 108% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $855 in Marsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $144 in Marsta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,802 in Marsta versus $2,341 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.