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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,811 in Norrkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $2,743 in Norrkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $3,675 in Norrkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than Norrkoping, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Norrkoping 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$12.47 SEK 115

39.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$69.5 SEK 639

0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$10.38 SEK 95.5

34.01%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$4.82 SEK 44.35

-43.15%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$2.44 SEK 22.44

10.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.80 SEK 16.52

12.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$7.51 SEK 69.1

-39.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$7.81 SEK 71.9

-40.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.59 SEK 14.59

-19.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$2.74 SEK 25.21

-23.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$4.46 SEK 41.07

-55.38%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$4.24 SEK 38.96

-18.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$12.02 SEK 111

54.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$14.14 SEK 130

-33.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$16.26 SEK 150

15.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$3.07 SEK 28.23

-14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.88 SEK 26.45

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$3.69 SEK 33.97

-40.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$5.18 SEK 47.70

-45.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.51 SEK 13.91

34.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.82 SEK 16.76

2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.01 SEK 18.54

-27.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.28 SEK 11.75

-28.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$7.66 SEK 70.5

-10.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$10.93 SEK 101

-29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.92 SEK 17.70

-28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.59 SEK 23.82

-10.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$3.40 SEK 31.30

-15.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$118 SEK 1,088

-75.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$5.63 SEK 51.8

-21.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.64 SEK 15.10

30.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$63.5 SEK 584

-54.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.96 SEK 18.05

-3.06%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$32.6K SEK 300.0K

16.23%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$34.3K SEK 315.2K

-2.82%

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

$186 €158

$102 SEK 938

82.13%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$26.88 SEK 247

-17.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$43.92 SEK 404

-16.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$35.58 SEK 327

64.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$41.72 SEK 384

-50.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$16.01 SEK 147

-30.67%

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

$705 €601

$149 SEK 1,372

372.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,416 SEK 13.0K

974.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$78.9 SEK 726

9.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$37.38 SEK 344

-1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$95.2 SEK 876

9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$117 SEK 1,072

-1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$710 SEK 6,531

116.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$615 SEK 5,657

102.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$1,193 SEK 11.0K

128.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$906 SEK 8,338

121.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$4,133 SEK 38.0K

73.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$3,004 SEK 27.6K

61.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$3,338 SEK 30.7K

-25.88%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Norrkoping: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $710 in Norrkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Norrkoping pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70 in Barcelona vs $69 in Norrkoping. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $375, 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 Norrkoping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Norrkoping differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,811 including rent). Norrkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Norrkoping earns 35% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $710 in Norrkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $149 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 $1,811 in Norrkoping versus $2,336 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 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.