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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,740 in Solna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,697 in Solna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,655 in Solna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 36% more expensive than in Solna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Solna 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$14.79 SEK 140

15.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$56.5 SEK 537

20.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$10.51 SEK 99.8

29.78%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$5.04 SEK 47.88

-44.84%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$3.13 SEK 29.72

-9.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.58 SEK 14.96

24.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$7.44 SEK 70.7

-40.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$7.95 SEK 75.5

-42.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.54 SEK 14.65

-17.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.65 SEK 25.19

-19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.81 SEK 36.17

-47.77%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.89 SEK 37.00

-13.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.68 SEK 92.0

95.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$12.22 SEK 116

-22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$14.94 SEK 142

25.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.63 SEK 15.50

62.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.08 SEK 19.73

12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.62 SEK 24.92

-20.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.08 SEK 29.29

-11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.62 SEK 15.34

20.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.00 SEK 18.98

-9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.25 SEK 21.40

-32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.12 SEK 10.60

-20.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.56 SEK 71.8

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$12.41 SEK 118

-36.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.46 SEK 13.86

-6.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$0.90 SEK 8.57

166.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$4.40 SEK 41.79

-33.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$104 SEK 985

-72.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.74 SEK 35.55

22.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.66 SEK 15.79

22.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$83.8 SEK 796

-65.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.98 SEK 18.82

-8.08%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.5K SEK 252.0K

48.24%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.9K SEK 284.2K

8.57%

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

$187 €162

$111 SEK 1,054

68.18%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$28.32 SEK 269

-21.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$41.57 SEK 395

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$45.61 SEK 433

26.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$25.80 SEK 245

-19.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$15.26 SEK 145

-29.42%

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

$725 €628

$160 SEK 1,523

352.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,203 SEK 39.9K

260.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$93.2 SEK 885

-5.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$41.59 SEK 395

-11.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$92.8 SEK 882

11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$52.2 SEK 496

127.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$851 SEK 8,082

79.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$643 SEK 6,109

90.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,366 SEK 13.0K

99.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

81.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$6,901 SEK 65.6K

8.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,814 SEK 26.7K

86.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$3,775 SEK 35.9K

-36.63%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Solna: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $851 in Solna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solna pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in Solna. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $319, 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 36% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,740 including rent). Solna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Solna. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $851 in Solna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $160 in Solna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,740 in Solna versus $2,359 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 36% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.