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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,739 in Marsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $2,707 in Marsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $3,675 in Marsta.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 38% more expensive than Marsta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Marsta 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$12.93 SEK 121

36.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$67.6 SEK 632

3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$10.73 SEK 100

27.31%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$4.68 SEK 43.77

-41.45%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.07 SEK 19.38

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.86 SEK 17.39

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.52 SEK 70.4

-42.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$7.42 SEK 69.4

-38.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.85 SEK 17.29

-30.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.08 SEK 28.79

-33.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$3.93 SEK 36.79

-49.62%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.79 SEK 35.42

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$13.85 SEK 130

34.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$9.33 SEK 87.3

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.40 SEK 144

22.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.53 SEK 33.01

-22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.66 SEK 24.88

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$3.13 SEK 29.30

-32.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.94 SEK 36.90

-28.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.52 SEK 14.19

32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.56 SEK 14.60

18.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.67 SEK 24.99

-43.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.67 SEK 15.62

-46.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$7.31 SEK 68.4

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$10.49 SEK 98.1

-23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.77 SEK 16.59

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.88 SEK 17.62

21.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$4.11 SEK 38.49

-29.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$98.6 SEK 922

-71.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$12.14 SEK 114

-63.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.59 SEK 14.86

34.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$58.9 SEK 551

-50.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.93 SEK 18.01

-3.63%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.2K SEK 301.5K

20.92%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.8K SEK 326.0K

-6.16%

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

$189 €163

$88.2 SEK 825

114.35%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$28.33 SEK 265

-19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$36.86 SEK 345

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$29.01 SEK 271

98.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$25.52 SEK 239

-16.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$16.10 SEK 151

-32.86%

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

$726 €625

$146 SEK 1,363

398.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$728 SEK 6,814

1972.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$80.1 SEK 749

9.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$44.34 SEK 415

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$99.5 SEK 930

4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$105 SEK 980

11.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$852 SEK 7,969

84.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$657 SEK 6,145

85.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,390 SEK 13.0K

95.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$1,075 SEK 10.1K

82.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$4,294 SEK 40.2K

81.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$3,015 SEK 28.2K

74.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$4,972 SEK 46.5K

-52.23%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Marsta: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $852 in Marsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 109% 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 $68.0 in Marsta. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $352, 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 38% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,739 including rent). Marsta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Marsta earns 109% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $852 in Marsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $146 in Marsta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,739 in Marsta versus $2,399 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 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.