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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,756 in Sundsvall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,619 in Sundsvall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,482 in Sundsvall.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.87 SEK 125

37.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$85.3 SEK 826

-18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.42 SEK 101

35.89%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.54 SEK 43.91

-38.33%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.46 SEK 23.78

14.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.05 SEK 19.89

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.82 SEK 75.7

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$8.15 SEK 78.9

-42.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.57 SEK 15.23

-21.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.34 SEK 32.38

-39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.82 SEK 36.95

-48.17%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.73 SEK 36.09

-6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$10.14 SEK 98.1

80.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$10.31 SEK 99.8

-4.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$18.41 SEK 178

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.84 SEK 27.47

-3.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.44 SEK 23.64

-2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.57 SEK 24.91

-19.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.06 SEK 39.32

-32.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.51 SEK 14.66

29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.42 SEK 13.78

26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.88 SEK 18.19

-21.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.03 SEK 10.01

-11.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.70 SEK 74.5

-7.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.27 SEK 89.8

-14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.64 SEK 15.93

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.56 SEK 15.10

53.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.36 SEK 32.52

-10.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$85.8 SEK 831

-65.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$6.45 SEK 62.5

-32.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.22 SEK 11.84

74.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$63.1 SEK 611

-53.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.90 SEK 18.39

-4.21%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$26.7K SEK 258.7K

41.82%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$26.9K SEK 260.8K

20.21%

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

$189 €166

$132 SEK 1,273

43.74%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$29.93 SEK 290

-25.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$25.77 SEK 250

44.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.95 SEK 367

52.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$26.04 SEK 252

-20.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$14.75 SEK 143

-26.31%

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

$706 €618

$145 SEK 1,404

386.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,164 SEK 40.3K

257.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$94.0 SEK 910

-4.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$30.77 SEK 298

18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$77.5 SEK 750

34.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$131 SEK 1,266

-8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$837 SEK 8,105

88.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$634 SEK 6,140

95.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,191 SEK 11.5K

127.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$869 SEK 8,413

134.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,466 SEK 23.9K

205.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,293 SEK 12.5K

305.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$3,018 SEK 29.2K

-21.67%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $837 in Sundsvall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $85.0 in Sundsvall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,756 including rent). Sundsvall is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Sundsvall. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $837 in Sundsvall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $145 in Sundsvall. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,756 in Sundsvall versus $2,320 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.