Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Skelleftea Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Skelleftea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,107 in Skelleftea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,130 in Skelleftea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,154 in Skelleftea.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 10% more expensive than in Skelleftea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Skelleftea 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$14.85 SEK 143

18.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$68.2 SEK 657

2.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$13.24 SEK 128

6.95%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.80 SEK 46.22

-41.67%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.54 SEK 24.43

10.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.99 SEK 19.18

3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$9.21 SEK 88.7

-50.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$8.56 SEK 82.5

-45.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.67 SEK 16.13

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.63 SEK 25.30

-22.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$5.14 SEK 49.55

-61.48%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.77 SEK 45.99

-26.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$11.52 SEK 111

59.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$11.31 SEK 109

-13.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$22.58 SEK 218

-15.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.66 SEK 25.68

2.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.63 SEK 25.34

-9.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.24 SEK 31.19

-35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.79 SEK 36.55

-27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.14 SEK 20.62

-8.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.59 SEK 15.36

12.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.39 SEK 23.03

-38.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.52 SEK 14.62

-40.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$7.21 SEK 69.5

-1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$15.72 SEK 151

-49.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.86 SEK 17.93

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.67 SEK 16.08

43.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$4.19 SEK 40.42

-28.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$57.2 SEK 551

-48.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$8.23 SEK 79.3

-47.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.99 SEK 19.16

7.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$60.2 SEK 580

-50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.92 SEK 18.49

-5.21%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$32.9K SEK 316.9K

15.21%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$34.5K SEK 332.8K

-6.25%

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

$189 €165

$171 SEK 1,646

10.64%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$31.44 SEK 303

-29.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$28.25 SEK 272

31.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$40.08 SEK 386

44.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$25.39 SEK 245

-18.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$16.00 SEK 154

-32.06%

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

$706 €617

$151 SEK 1,456

367.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,070 SEK 39.2K

265.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$98.5 SEK 950

-9.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$42.03 SEK 405

-12.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$83.8 SEK 807

24.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$165 SEK 1,588

-27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$1,278 SEK 12.3K

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$876 SEK 8,446

41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$1,750 SEK 16.9K

54.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$1,382 SEK 13.3K

47.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$3,880 SEK 37.4K

94.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$2,733 SEK 26.3K

91.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$2,600 SEK 25.1K

-9.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.5

-24.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Skelleftea: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,278 in Skelleftea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skelleftea pays 10% 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 $68.0 in Skelleftea. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $384, 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 Skelleftea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Skelleftea differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,107 including rent). Skelleftea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Skelleftea. 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 $1,278 in Skelleftea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $151 in Skelleftea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,107 in Skelleftea versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Skelleftea but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Skelleftea 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 Skelleftea 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 Skelleftea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.