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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,799 in Solna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,686 in Solna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,572 in Solna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than Solna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Solna 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$14.71 SEK 137

19.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$56.1 SEK 522

22.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$10.60 SEK 98.6

29.72%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.87 SEK 45.32

-43.33%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$3.24 SEK 30.18

-14.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.55 SEK 14.38

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$7.52 SEK 69.9

-38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$8.14 SEK 75.7

-43.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.53 SEK 14.20

-16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.67 SEK 24.83

-20.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.73 SEK 34.69

-47.18%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.93 SEK 36.53

-12.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.43 SEK 87.7

99.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$12.65 SEK 118

-25.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$14.93 SEK 139

27.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.70 SEK 15.84

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.12 SEK 19.74

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.69 SEK 24.97

-22.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.08 SEK 28.69

-10.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.55 SEK 14.39

27.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.00 SEK 18.64

-10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.35 SEK 21.84

-35.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.12 SEK 10.37

-19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.59 SEK 70.6

-10.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$14.78 SEK 137

-48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.39 SEK 12.89

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$0.97 SEK 9.01

148.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$4.53 SEK 42.11

-33.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$103 SEK 962

-72.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.74 SEK 34.77

18.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.60 SEK 14.92

28.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$83.1 SEK 773

-64.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.96 SEK 18.27

-3.57%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$27.3K SEK 253.6K

42.06%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$30.2K SEK 280.7K

7.23%

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

$189 €161

$110 SEK 1,021

71.85%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$28.90 SEK 269

-23.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$41.49 SEK 386

-11.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$45.83 SEK 426

26.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$25.48 SEK 237

-17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$15.27 SEK 142

-27.64%

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

$726 €622

$160 SEK 1,491

353.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,169 SEK 38.8K

265.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$93.7 SEK 872

-5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$41.59 SEK 387

-11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$90.6 SEK 843

13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$52.3 SEK 486

128.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$840 SEK 7,808

81.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$651 SEK 6,053

87.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,389 SEK 12.9K

101.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,101 SEK 10.2K

84.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$7,266 SEK 67.6K

-2.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$5,393 SEK 50.2K

-10.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$3,986 SEK 37.1K

-39.68%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Solna: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $840 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 $56.0 in Solna. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $326, 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,799 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $840 in Solna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,799 in Solna versus $2,341 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.