Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Stenungsund Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Stenungsund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,823 in Stenungsund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $2,802 in Stenungsund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $3,781 in Stenungsund.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 28% more expensive than Stenungsund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Stenungsund 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$12.97 SEK 119

34.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$68.9 SEK 634

1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$8.98 SEK 82.6

54.90%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$4.51 SEK 41.47

-39.25%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.56 SEK 14.32

73.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.41 SEK 22.16

-15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$7.18 SEK 66.1

-37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$7.17 SEK 66.0

-35.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.45 SEK 13.38

-11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$3.08 SEK 28.29

-31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$3.92 SEK 36.03

-49.23%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$3.94 SEK 36.21

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$13.93 SEK 128

33.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$11.94 SEK 110

-21.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$15.85 SEK 146

17.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$3.61 SEK 33.17

-27.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.58 SEK 23.78

-7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.54 SEK 14.19

42.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$5.59 SEK 51.4

-49.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.51 SEK 13.90

34.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$2.10 SEK 19.31

-10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.78 SEK 25.60

-47.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.75 SEK 16.10

-47.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$7.60 SEK 69.9

-10.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$8.87 SEK 81.6

-13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.71 SEK 15.78

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.96 SEK 18.06

18.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$2.71 SEK 24.98

6.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$73.6 SEK 677

-60.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$5.66 SEK 52.1

-21.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.59 SEK 14.62

34.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$21.22 SEK 195

36.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.98 SEK 18.26

-4.04%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$32.2K SEK 296.5K

17.60%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$34.0K SEK 312.9K

-2.10%

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

$186 €158

$89.5 SEK 824

107.41%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$27.93 SEK 257

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$36.86 SEK 339

-0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$40.19 SEK 370

45.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$25.02 SEK 230

-17.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$15.67 SEK 144

-29.16%

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

$705 €601

$145 SEK 1,333

386.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$729 SEK 6,705

1986.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$107 SEK 983

-19.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$43.62 SEK 401

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$118 SEK 1,088

-12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$158 SEK 1,451

-26.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$827 SEK 7,609

85.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$650 SEK 5,984

90.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$1,390 SEK 12.8K

96.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$1,085 SEK 9,982

85.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$3,926 SEK 36.1K

82.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$3,398 SEK 31.3K

42.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$2,123 SEK 19.5K

16.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.53

-25.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Stenungsund: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $827 in Stenungsund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70 in Barcelona vs $69 in Stenungsund. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $364, 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 Stenungsund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Stenungsund differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,823 including rent). Stenungsund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 17% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $827 in Stenungsund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $145 in Stenungsund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,823 in Stenungsund versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stenungsund but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Stenungsund 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 Stenungsund 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 Stenungsund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.