Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Solna Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Solna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,747 in Solna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,688 in Solna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,630 in Solna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than Solna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Solna 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$14.57 SEK 137

17.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$56.7 SEK 532

22.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$10.67 SEK 100

29.15%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.91 SEK 46.06

-43.79%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$3.09 SEK 29.02

-9.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.50 SEK 14.04

32.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$7.54 SEK 70.8

-42.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.82 SEK 73.4

-39.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.56 SEK 14.60

-17.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.62 SEK 24.54

-21.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.95 SEK 37.05

-49.62%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.06 SEK 38.08

-16.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.30 SEK 87.2

102.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$12.44 SEK 117

-24.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$15.24 SEK 143

25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.64 SEK 15.37

64.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.09 SEK 19.58

11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.62 SEK 24.57

-19.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.08 SEK 28.92

-7.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.61 SEK 15.06

22.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.95 SEK 18.32

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.36 SEK 22.12

-38.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.08 SEK 10.10

-20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.39 SEK 69.4

-8.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$14.49 SEK 136

-45.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.39 SEK 13.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.92 SEK 8.62

157.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$4.34 SEK 40.69

-32.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$100 SEK 942

-71.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.77 SEK 35.35

18.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.59 SEK 14.91

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$84.0 SEK 788

-64.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.96 SEK 18.37

-7.14%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$27.1K SEK 254.4K

43.20%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$30.3K SEK 284.5K

9.14%

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

$189 €163

$110 SEK 1,027

72.78%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$28.64 SEK 269

-20.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$40.82 SEK 383

-7.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$46.14 SEK 433

25.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$25.50 SEK 239

-18.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$15.05 SEK 141

-28.11%

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

$728 €628

$157 SEK 1,475

363.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,166 SEK 39.1K

254.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$96.1 SEK 901

-7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$41.60 SEK 390

-11.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$91.8 SEK 861

11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$53.5 SEK 502

117.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$839 SEK 7,872

86.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$641 SEK 6,016

89.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,372 SEK 12.9K

103.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,060 SEK 9,947

86.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$7,062 SEK 66.2K

9.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,945 SEK 27.6K

75.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$3,884 SEK 36.4K

-39.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.8

-29.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Solna: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $839 in Solna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solna pays 66% 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 $57.0 in Solna. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $325, 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 Solna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Solna differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,747 including rent). Solna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Solna earns 66% less. 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $839 in Solna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $157 in Solna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,747 in Solna versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Solna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Solna 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 Solna 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 Solna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.