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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,789 in Stenungsund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $2,786 in Stenungsund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $3,784 in Stenungsund.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than in Stenungsund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Stenungsund 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$13.16 SEK 128

30.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$67.9 SEK 659

4.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$9.33 SEK 90.6

50.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$4.52 SEK 43.88

-38.50%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.60 SEK 15.58

73.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.47 SEK 23.98

-17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$7.26 SEK 70.5

-37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$7.17 SEK 69.6

-34.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.50 SEK 14.59

-14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$3.17 SEK 30.80

-32.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$3.93 SEK 38.14

-50.89%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$4.02 SEK 39.04

-13.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$14.03 SEK 136

32.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$11.92 SEK 116

-20.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$15.56 SEK 151

21.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$3.54 SEK 34.42

-25.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$2.71 SEK 26.36

-13.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.56 SEK 15.14

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$5.88 SEK 57.1

-51.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.55 SEK 15.09

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$2.09 SEK 20.29

-11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$2.66 SEK 25.84

-42.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.75 SEK 17.04

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$7.53 SEK 73.1

-10.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$8.21 SEK 79.7

-5.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.73 SEK 16.83

-20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.91 SEK 18.53

21.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$2.62 SEK 25.46

14.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

$73.8 SEK 716

-61.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$5.75 SEK 55.9

-20.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.61 SEK 15.61

32.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$21.44 SEK 208

37.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.98 SEK 19.24

-9.09%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$32.9K SEK 319.9K

16.74%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$33.9K SEK 329.2K

-1.87%

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

$185 €163

$91.1 SEK 885

102.86%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$27.93 SEK 271

-18.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$36.03 SEK 350

2.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$41.16 SEK 400

40.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

$25.68 SEK 249

-17.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$15.97 SEK 155

-32.19%

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

$727 €639

$143 SEK 1,389

408.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$749 SEK 7,273

1867.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$106 SEK 1,026

-17.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$44.56 SEK 433

-16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$114 SEK 1,109

-9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$158 SEK 1,536

-25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$843 SEK 8,184

85.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$658 SEK 6,389

85.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$1,407 SEK 13.7K

94.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$1,071 SEK 10.4K

85.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$4,497 SEK 43.7K

66.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$3,089 SEK 30.0K

68.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$1,977 SEK 19.2K

19.08%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Stenungsund: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $843 in Stenungsund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 19% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Stenungsund. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $366, 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 29% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,789 including rent). Stenungsund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $843 in Stenungsund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $143 in Stenungsund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,789 in Stenungsund versus $2,316 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 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.