Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,500 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,261 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,021 in Sala.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 55% more expensive than in Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Sala 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.69 SEK 123

39.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$62.2 SEK 603

11.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.40 SEK 101

36.15%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.33 SEK 32.25

-15.92%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.80 SEK 17.43

56.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.52 SEK 24.43

-18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.59 SEK 73.5

-39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.24 SEK 70.1

-35.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.80 SEK 17.44

-31.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.70 SEK 26.09

-24.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.70 SEK 35.80

-46.49%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.93 SEK 38.04

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$11.83 SEK 115

54.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.84 SEK 115

-16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.79 SEK 153

21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.08 SEK 29.85

-11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.63 SEK 25.44

-9.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.84 SEK 27.53

-26.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$5.23 SEK 50.6

-47.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.56 SEK 15.13

25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.19 SEK 11.48

50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.73 SEK 26.44

-45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.03 SEK 9.94

-11.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.20 SEK 69.7

-0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.33 SEK 61.3

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.56 SEK 24.75

-46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.89 SEK 18.29

26.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.19 SEK 30.88

-5.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$21.70 SEK 210

35.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$6.21 SEK 60.1

-29.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.65 SEK 16.01

29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$20.86 SEK 202

41.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.94 SEK 18.73

-6.19%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$42.1K SEK 407.6K

-10.01%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$33.7K SEK 326.6K

-4.00%

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

$189 €166

$90.7 SEK 878

108.37%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$20.78 SEK 201

7.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$36.83 SEK 357

0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$47.60 SEK 461

21.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$21.00 SEK 203

-1.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$18.72 SEK 181

-41.93%

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

$706 €618

$146 SEK 1,412

384.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,275 SEK 12.3K

1065.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$47.11 SEK 456

89.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$37.35 SEK 362

-2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$55.7 SEK 539

86.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$57.3 SEK 555

108.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$751 SEK 7,274

110.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$542 SEK 5,246

128.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$968 SEK 9,369

180.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$739 SEK 7,154

175.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,097 SEK 39.7K

83.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,174 SEK 30.7K

65.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,497 SEK 24.2K

-5.35%

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 Sala: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $751 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $62.0 in Sala. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $346, 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sala differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,500 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Sala. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $751 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $146 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,500 in Sala versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sala 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 Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.