Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Norrkoping Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Norrkoping

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,775 in Norrkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,719 in Norrkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,663 in Norrkoping.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Norrkoping 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$12.46 SEK 117

37.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$68.5 SEK 643

1.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$10.63 SEK 99.7

29.63%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.83 SEK 45.32

-42.86%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.42 SEK 22.74

15.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.80 SEK 16.84

10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.28 SEK 68.3

-40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.97 SEK 74.7

-40.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.64 SEK 15.43

-21.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.87 SEK 26.93

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.67 SEK 43.76

-57.39%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.39 SEK 41.18

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$12.37 SEK 116

52.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$14.14 SEK 133

-33.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$16.37 SEK 154

16.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.12 SEK 29.31

-13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.78 SEK 26.07

-15.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.74 SEK 35.10

-43.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.95 SEK 46.42

-42.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.48 SEK 13.88

33.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.80 SEK 16.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.93 SEK 18.08

-24.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.27 SEK 11.93

-32.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.53 SEK 70.6

-9.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$10.46 SEK 98.1

-24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.85 SEK 17.37

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.55 SEK 23.97

-7.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$3.53 SEK 33.08

-17.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$117 SEK 1,097

-75.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$5.81 SEK 54.5

-23.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.66 SEK 15.62

23.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$63.5 SEK 596

-53.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.94 SEK 18.18

-6.19%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$33.0K SEK 309.4K

17.72%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$34.8K SEK 326.7K

-4.95%

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

$189 €163

$105 SEK 987

79.84%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$27.59 SEK 259

-17.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$43.55 SEK 409

-13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$36.56 SEK 343

57.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$42.51 SEK 399

-51.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$15.80 SEK 148

-31.52%

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

$728 €628

$150 SEK 1,405

386.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,447 SEK 13.6K

921.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$80.1 SEK 752

10.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$36.34 SEK 341

1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$94.6 SEK 888

7.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$118 SEK 1,103

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$708 SEK 6,641

121.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$610 SEK 5,724

99.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,215 SEK 11.4K

130.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$898 SEK 8,422

120.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,927 SEK 36.8K

97.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$3,012 SEK 28.3K

71.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$3,292 SEK 30.9K

-28.83%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Norrkoping: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $708 in Norrkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Norrkoping pays 40% 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 Norrkoping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $377 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 Norrkoping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Norrkoping differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,775 including rent). Norrkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Norrkoping earns 40% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $708 in Norrkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $150 in Norrkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,775 in Norrkoping versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Norrkoping but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Norrkoping 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 Norrkoping 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 Norrkoping 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.