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: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $1,738 in Solna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $2,732 in Solna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $3,725 in Solna.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 40% more expensive than in Solna, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Solna 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$14.30 SEK 144

28.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$68.1 SEK 684

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$11.45 SEK 115

20.09%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$4.86 SEK 48.83

-34.77%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$2.32 SEK 23.27

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.49 SEK 14.98

30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$7.77 SEK 78.1

-49.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$7.60 SEK 76.4

-40.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.48 SEK 14.84

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.61 SEK 26.22

-20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$3.74 SEK 37.54

-52.14%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$4.01 SEK 40.24

25.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$8.94 SEK 89.8

93.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$13.09 SEK 131

-28.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$22.83 SEK 229

-15.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$3.24 SEK 32.53

-1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.05 SEK 20.57

1.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.60 SEK 26.09

1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$3.10 SEK 31.13

-8.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.55 SEK 15.60

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.81 SEK 18.19

18.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$2.21 SEK 22.21

-28.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.00 SEK 10.03

-7.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$7.54 SEK 75.7

-3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$12.30 SEK 124

-34.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.34 SEK 13.51

9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$2.21 SEK 22.18

25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$4.39 SEK 44.08

-33.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

$97.5 SEK 979

-73.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$3.52 SEK 35.30

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$2.86 SEK 28.71

-47.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$80.4 SEK 808

-57.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.76 SEK 17.69

-2.84%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$33.7K SEK 338.6K

7.55%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$32.5K SEK 325.9K

-5.57%

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

$183 €163

$107 SEK 1,074

71.44%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$22.32 SEK 224

-33.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$40.18 SEK 404

-8.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$38.25 SEK 384

45.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

$25.02 SEK 251

-34.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$14.51 SEK 146

-22.12%

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

$983 €873

$150 SEK 1,510

553.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$5,025 SEK 50.5K

232.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$107 SEK 1,076

-14.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$41.37 SEK 415

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$89.9 SEK 902

20.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$139 SEK 1,391

-11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$817 SEK 8,202

106.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$598 SEK 6,006

121.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$1,390 SEK 14.0K

88.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$1,020 SEK 10.2K

88.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

$6,730 SEK 67.6K

9.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

$2,797 SEK 28.1K

87.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

$3,811 SEK 38.3K

-39.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.53

-10.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Solna: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $817 in Solna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solna pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Solna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $352 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 Solna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Solna differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $1,738 including rent). Solna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $817 in Solna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $150 in Solna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,738 in Solna versus $2,441 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 40% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.