Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sundsvall Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sundsvall

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,776 in Sundsvall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,653 in Sundsvall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,530 in Sundsvall.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than Sundsvall, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Sundsvall 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$12.51 SEK 118

40.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$84.4 SEK 793

-18.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.30 SEK 96.7

36.50%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.41 SEK 41.46

-36.96%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.53 SEK 23.76

10.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.10 SEK 19.72

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.44 SEK 69.9

-40.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$8.09 SEK 76.0

-43.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.58 SEK 14.86

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.31 SEK 31.07

-38.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.74 SEK 35.14

-48.66%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.58 SEK 33.65

-7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.20 SEK 95.9

80.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$10.35 SEK 97.2

-8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$18.47 SEK 173

3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.90 SEK 27.22

-8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.44 SEK 22.88

0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.65 SEK 24.91

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.06 SEK 38.09

-29.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.46 SEK 13.76

39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.48 SEK 13.87

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.88 SEK 17.67

-21.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.99 SEK 9.32

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.78 SEK 73.1

-8.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.39 SEK 88.2

-16.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.64 SEK 15.39

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.50 SEK 14.13

54.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.42 SEK 32.17

-12.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$86.4 SEK 811

-66.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$6.20 SEK 58.2

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.23 SEK 11.58

68.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$61.1 SEK 574

-52.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.90 SEK 17.85

-3.16%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.5K SEK 249.2K

47.08%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$27.7K SEK 259.8K

18.23%

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

$188 €162

$131 SEK 1,235

42.88%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$30.18 SEK 283

-24.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$26.01 SEK 244

41.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$38.55 SEK 362

48.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$26.01 SEK 244

-20.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$14.47 SEK 136

-22.67%

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

$721 €621

$144 SEK 1,353

400.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,148 SEK 39.0K

262.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$93.6 SEK 879

-7.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$30.00 SEK 282

23.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$75.7 SEK 711

34.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$132 SEK 1,239

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$828 SEK 7,776

85.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$625 SEK 5,872

95.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,197 SEK 11.2K

125.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$890 SEK 8,361

126.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,598 SEK 24.4K

177.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,350 SEK 12.7K

284.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$3,231 SEK 30.4K

-26.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.48

-24.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $828 in Sundsvall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $84.0 in Sundsvall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $333 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 Sundsvall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sundsvall differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,776 including rent). Sundsvall is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sundsvall earns 37% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $828 in Sundsvall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $144 in Sundsvall. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,776 in Sundsvall versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sundsvall but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sundsvall 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 Sundsvall 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 Sundsvall gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.