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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,774 in Norrkoping.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,715 in Norrkoping.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,655 in Norrkoping.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than in Norrkoping, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Norrkoping 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$12.47 SEK 118

37.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$68.5 SEK 650

-0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$10.60 SEK 101

28.68%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.97 SEK 47.23

-44.06%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.36 SEK 22.40

19.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.81 SEK 17.15

8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$7.27 SEK 69.0

-39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$8.06 SEK 76.6

-42.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.59 SEK 15.10

-20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.86 SEK 27.18

-25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.57 SEK 43.40

-56.46%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$4.24 SEK 40.28

-20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.36 SEK 117

53.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$14.29 SEK 136

-33.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$16.25 SEK 154

15.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.12 SEK 29.68

-15.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.83 SEK 26.93

-16.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.61 SEK 34.26

-42.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$5.01 SEK 47.62

-45.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.45 SEK 13.78

35.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.86 SEK 17.69

-2.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.98 SEK 18.84

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.31 SEK 12.43

-32.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.66 SEK 72.8

-11.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.22 SEK 97.1

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.86 SEK 17.64

-26.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.59 SEK 24.64

-7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$3.55 SEK 33.74

-18.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$118 SEK 1,120

-75.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$5.74 SEK 54.5

-20.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.66 SEK 15.81

22.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$64.8 SEK 615

-55.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.99 SEK 18.87

-8.54%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$33.0K SEK 313.1K

19.29%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.8K SEK 330.5K

-6.64%

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

$187 €162

$103 SEK 977

81.48%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$27.44 SEK 261

-18.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$43.88 SEK 417

-17.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$36.43 SEK 346

57.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$42.01 SEK 399

-50.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$16.03 SEK 152

-32.81%

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

$725 €628

$146 SEK 1,386

396.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,415 SEK 13.4K

970.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$78.9 SEK 749

11.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$36.57 SEK 347

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$95.8 SEK 910

7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$115 SEK 1,093

3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$709 SEK 6,734

114.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$604 SEK 5,734

103.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,222 SEK 11.6K

123.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$913 SEK 8,677

117.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,896 SEK 37.0K

91.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,869 SEK 27.3K

82.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$3,077 SEK 29.2K

-22.24%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Norrkoping: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $709 in Norrkoping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Norrkoping pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Norrkoping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $376 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,774 including rent). Norrkoping is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $709 in Norrkoping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $146 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 $1,774 in Norrkoping versus $2,359 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 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.