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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,802 in Ostersund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,847 in Ostersund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,892 in Ostersund.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than Ostersund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Ostersund 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$13.38 SEK 126

31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$72.5 SEK 681

-5.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.76 SEK 101

30.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.70 SEK 44.11

-40.85%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.82 SEK 26.46

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.41 SEK 22.64

-14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.59 SEK 71.3

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.83 SEK 73.6

-41.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.56 SEK 14.68

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.05 SEK 28.64

-33.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.90 SEK 46.05

-60.82%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.59 SEK 33.72

-7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.51 SEK 136

27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$11.72 SEK 110

-19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$16.19 SEK 152

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.53 SEK 42.52

-41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.09 SEK 28.99

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.64 SEK 34.18

-41.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.14 SEK 38.89

-31.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.73 SEK 35.00

-45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.78 SEK 16.72

3.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.50 SEK 23.52

-41.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.51 SEK 14.18

-44.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$8.21 SEK 77.1

-13.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$10.85 SEK 102

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.91 SEK 17.94

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.95 SEK 18.30

18.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.44 SEK 32.29

-13.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$74.1 SEK 696

-60.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$6.43 SEK 60.4

-28.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.64 SEK 15.44

26.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$62.1 SEK 583

-53.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.09 SEK 19.64

-11.96%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.0K SEK 310.4K

18.05%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.4K SEK 322.8K

-4.85%

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

$188 €162

$114 SEK 1,074

64.28%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$28.69 SEK 269

-20.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$36.81 SEK 346

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$41.30 SEK 388

38.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$25.71 SEK 241

-19.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$15.52 SEK 146

-27.90%

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

$721 €621

$132 SEK 1,241

445.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,119 SEK 38.7K

265.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$94.1 SEK 884

-8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$40.96 SEK 385

-9.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$99.1 SEK 931

2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$151 SEK 1,422

-23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$831 SEK 7,807

84.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$655 SEK 6,153

86.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,390 SEK 13.1K

93.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,097 SEK 10.3K

83.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,366 SEK 41.0K

65.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$3,010 SEK 28.3K

72.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $831 in Ostersund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $73.0 in Ostersund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $385 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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,802 including rent). Ostersund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $2,703 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $831 in Ostersund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $132 in Ostersund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,802 in Ostersund versus $2,367 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.