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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,766 in Stenungsund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,745 in Stenungsund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,724 in Stenungsund.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than Stenungsund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Stenungsund 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$13.42 SEK 127

27.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$69.4 SEK 658

-0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$9.26 SEK 87.8

48.81%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$4.66 SEK 44.16

-40.77%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$1.57 SEK 14.84

77.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$2.43 SEK 23.04

-18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$7.51 SEK 71.2

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$7.23 SEK 68.6

-34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.52 SEK 14.40

-15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$3.05 SEK 28.92

-32.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.02 SEK 38.16

-50.50%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$3.87 SEK 36.67

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$13.84 SEK 131

35.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$11.80 SEK 112

-20.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$15.80 SEK 150

21.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$3.49 SEK 33.05

-22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.61 SEK 24.79

-10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.59 SEK 15.08

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$5.69 SEK 53.9

-49.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.49 SEK 14.15

32.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$2.14 SEK 20.29

-15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$2.77 SEK 26.26

-47.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.70 SEK 16.11

-49.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.33 SEK 69.5

-7.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$8.41 SEK 79.7

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.72 SEK 16.33

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.87 SEK 17.75

26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$2.66 SEK 25.22

9.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$75.1 SEK 712

-61.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$5.62 SEK 53.3

-20.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.67 SEK 15.80

22.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$21.18 SEK 201

39.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.92 SEK 18.17

-5.21%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$32.9K SEK 312.1K

17.98%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$34.8K SEK 329.7K

-4.81%

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

$189 €164

$91.0 SEK 862

108.04%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$28.43 SEK 270

-19.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$37.33 SEK 354

0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$39.99 SEK 379

44.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$25.63 SEK 243

-19.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$15.83 SEK 150

-31.65%

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

$728 €631

$144 SEK 1,369

404.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$738 SEK 7,000

1900.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$103 SEK 977

-14.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$44.24 SEK 419

-16.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$114 SEK 1,079

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$153 SEK 1,446

-23.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$835 SEK 7,922

87.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$651 SEK 6,177

87.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$1,378 SEK 13.1K

102.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$1,075 SEK 10.2K

83.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$4,708 SEK 44.6K

64.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$2,916 SEK 27.7K

77.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$2,055 SEK 19.5K

14.03%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Stenungsund: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $835 in Stenungsund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 14% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Stenungsund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $363 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 Stenungsund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Stenungsund differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,766 including rent). Stenungsund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 14% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $835 in Stenungsund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $144 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 $1,766 in Stenungsund versus $2,337 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.