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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,059 in Skelleftea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,107 in Skelleftea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,155 in Skelleftea.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 20% more expensive than in Skelleftea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Skelleftea 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$16.77 SEK 165

11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$83.2 SEK 820

-16.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$13.62 SEK 134

1.10%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.85 SEK 47.76

-36.08%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.74 SEK 27.02

3.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.29 SEK 22.55

-17.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$8.51 SEK 83.8

-53.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$8.35 SEK 82.3

-45.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 SEK 16.31

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.64 SEK 26.04

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$5.15 SEK 50.8

-65.83%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.11 SEK 50.4

0.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.46 SEK 113

56.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$11.45 SEK 113

-15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$24.84 SEK 245

-18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.34 SEK 32.87

-2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.46 SEK 24.27

-9.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.32 SEK 32.71

-21.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.72 SEK 36.62

-25.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.42 SEK 23.82

-8.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.67 SEK 16.47

26.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.36 SEK 23.30

-34.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.62 SEK 15.96

-41.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.47 SEK 73.6

-1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$15.87 SEK 156

-49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.80 SEK 17.69

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.72 SEK 16.98

62.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.98 SEK 29.40

4.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$53.9 SEK 531

-52.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$8.31 SEK 81.8

-60.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.78 SEK 17.50

-16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$62.2 SEK 613

-44.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.75 SEK 17.22

-1.14%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.8K SEK 333.2K

7.56%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.5K SEK 330.3K

-8.88%

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

$187 €163

$106 SEK 1,047

76.11%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$34.88 SEK 344

-56.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$52.5 SEK 517

-28.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$38.78 SEK 382

44.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$26.42 SEK 260

-35.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$15.91 SEK 157

-28.28%

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

$997 €869

$150 SEK 1,483

562.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,720 SEK 56.4K

189.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$95.9 SEK 945

-3.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$43.84 SEK 432

-5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$84.0 SEK 828

32.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$159 SEK 1,570

-21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,203 SEK 11.9K

41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$839 SEK 8,267

53.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,679 SEK 16.5K

52.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,274 SEK 12.6K

52.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,217 SEK 41.6K

81.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,888 SEK 28.5K

78.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,640 SEK 26.0K

-11.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.9

-18.97%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Skelleftea: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,203 in Skelleftea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skelleftea pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $83.0 in Skelleftea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $397 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 Skelleftea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Skelleftea differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,059 including rent). Skelleftea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,203 in Skelleftea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $150 in Skelleftea. 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 $2,059 in Skelleftea versus $2,476 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 20% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.