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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,793 in Norrkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,682 in Norrkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,571 in Norrkoping.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Norrkoping 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$12.83 SEK 126

46.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$62.3 SEK 614

11.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.45 SEK 103

31.77%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.11 SEK 50.4

-39.33%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.88 SEK 28.34

-1.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.18 SEK 21.52

-13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$7.03 SEK 69.3

-43.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$8.12 SEK 80.0

-44.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.78 SEK 17.52

-28.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.89 SEK 28.46

-25.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.13 SEK 40.74

-57.38%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$4.10 SEK 40.36

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.32 SEK 102

73.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$15.15 SEK 149

-36.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$18.58 SEK 183

8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.23 SEK 31.87

0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.84 SEK 28.01

-21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.70 SEK 36.43

-29.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$5.36 SEK 52.8

-48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.41 SEK 13.93

56.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.80 SEK 17.78

17.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.00 SEK 19.72

-22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.31 SEK 12.96

-27.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.84 SEK 77.3

-6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.05 SEK 99.0

-19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.98 SEK 19.50

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.07 SEK 20.35

34.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.47 SEK 34.18

-10.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$103 SEK 1,019

-74.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$5.45 SEK 53.7

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.31 SEK 12.93

12.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$62.9 SEK 620

-45.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.71 SEK 16.82

1.17%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$32.2K SEK 317.1K

13.03%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.9K SEK 333.7K

-9.82%

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

$187 €163

$99.7 SEK 983

87.64%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$29.35 SEK 289

-48.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$44.34 SEK 437

-15.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$34.95 SEK 344

60.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$15.16 SEK 149

-24.74%

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

$997 €869

$130 SEK 1,285

664.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$70.3 SEK 692

31.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$30.23 SEK 298

36.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$97.2 SEK 958

14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$208 SEK 2,045

-39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$677 SEK 6,676

152.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$591 SEK 5,820

117.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,192 SEK 11.7K

115.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$876 SEK 8,634

121.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,600 SEK 45.3K

66.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$3,492 SEK 34.4K

47.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,182 SEK 31.4K

-26.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.94

-19.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Norrkoping: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $677 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $62.0 in Norrkoping. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $383, 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 38% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,793 including rent). Norrkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Norrkoping. 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 $677 in Norrkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $130 in Norrkoping. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,793 in Norrkoping versus $2,476 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 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.