Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ostersund Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ostersund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,859 in Ostersund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,859 in Ostersund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,860 in Ostersund.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 25% more expensive than in Ostersund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ostersund 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$13.60 SEK 132

29.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$73.0 SEK 706

-4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.34 SEK 100

36.94%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.74 SEK 45.88

-40.93%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.81 SEK 27.21

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.50 SEK 24.21

-17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.88 SEK 76.3

-41.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.80 SEK 75.5

-39.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.49 SEK 14.45

-17.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.01 SEK 29.16

-32.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.99 SEK 48.31

-60.32%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.43 SEK 33.24

1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$14.39 SEK 139

27.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.77 SEK 114

-16.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.76 SEK 153

21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.57 SEK 44.20

-40.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.97 SEK 28.76

-19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.67 SEK 35.54

-43.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.12 SEK 39.91

-33.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.77 SEK 36.46

-48.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.82 SEK 17.64

-1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.53 SEK 24.52

-41.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.58 SEK 15.25

-42.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$8.13 SEK 78.7

-12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$10.10 SEK 97.7

-21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.96 SEK 18.99

-29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.89 SEK 18.31

26.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.29 SEK 31.81

-8.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$74.3 SEK 719

-60.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$6.22 SEK 60.2

-29.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.59 SEK 15.44

33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$63.0 SEK 610

-53.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.01 SEK 19.42

-9.45%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.3K SEK 312.5K

17.40%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.7K SEK 326.0K

-3.82%

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

$189 €166

$115 SEK 1,115

64.07%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.32 SEK 274

-21.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$36.23 SEK 351

2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$40.03 SEK 388

44.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$25.78 SEK 250

-19.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$15.71 SEK 152

-30.81%

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

$706 €618

$129 SEK 1,250

447.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,166 SEK 40.3K

256.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$94.0 SEK 910

-4.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$40.25 SEK 390

-9.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$98.3 SEK 952

5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$150 SEK 1,455

-20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$840 SEK 8,129

88.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$645 SEK 6,243

92.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,387 SEK 13.4K

95.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,064 SEK 10.3K

91.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,780 SEK 36.6K

99.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,856 SEK 27.7K

83.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $840 in Ostersund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $73.0 in Ostersund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $382 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 Ostersund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ostersund differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,859 including rent). Ostersund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $2,788 in Ostersund to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $840 in Ostersund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $129 in Ostersund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,859 in Ostersund versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ostersund but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ostersund 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 Ostersund 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 Ostersund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.