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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,909 in Stenungsund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,961 in Stenungsund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,014 in Stenungsund.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Stenungsund 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$14.15 SEK 137

30.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$67.2 SEK 651

3.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$9.23 SEK 89.5

52.22%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.39 SEK 42.57

-29.16%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.58 SEK 15.36

87.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.29 SEK 22.16

-14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$7.14 SEK 69.3

-44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$7.18 SEK 69.6

-35.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.48 SEK 14.33

-10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.23 SEK 31.31

-34.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$5.60 SEK 54.3

-67.32%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$4.96 SEK 48.07

4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$14.15 SEK 137

24.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$13.41 SEK 130

-29.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$17.74 SEK 172

12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.22 SEK 31.19

-1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.70 SEK 26.16

-18.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.13 SEK 20.60

22.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.94 SEK 47.93

-42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.49 SEK 14.41

45.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.84 SEK 17.84

14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.30 SEK 22.31

-29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.88 SEK 18.18

-53.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$7.34 SEK 71.2

-2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$8.38 SEK 81.2

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.04 SEK 19.78

-26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.27 SEK 22.03

21.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.54 SEK 24.65

23.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$79.4 SEK 770

-66.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$13.32 SEK 129

-75.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.05 SEK 19.85

-26.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$84.3 SEK 817

-58.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.84 SEK 17.79

-4.89%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$34.6K SEK 335.7K

5.86%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$34.5K SEK 334.7K

-8.28%

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

$187 €161

$180 SEK 1,743

4.05%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$27.27 SEK 264

-44.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$48.86 SEK 474

-23.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$39.05 SEK 379

42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$26.37 SEK 256

-36.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$16.75 SEK 162

-30.09%

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

$1,011 €871

$223 SEK 2,161

353.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,145 SEK 49.9K

231.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$104 SEK 1,007

-12.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$55.0 SEK 533

-25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$99.4 SEK 963

11.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$224 SEK 2,172

-43.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$937 SEK 9,085

81.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$532 SEK 5,162

144.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,306 SEK 12.7K

98.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,196 SEK 11.6K

61.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$3,674 SEK 35.6K

110.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,799 SEK 27.1K

92.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,998 SEK 19.4K

18.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.2

-1.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Stenungsund: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $937 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $67.0 in Stenungsund. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $389, 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,909 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $937 in Stenungsund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $223 in Stenungsund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,909 in Stenungsund versus $2,482 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.