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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,807 in Sundsvall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,745 in Sundsvall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,684 in Sundsvall.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 38% more expensive than in Sundsvall, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Sundsvall 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$15.45 SEK 147

19.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$82.3 SEK 784

-15.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$11.47 SEK 109

23.19%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$4.86 SEK 46.38

-35.60%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.51 SEK 23.94

20.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.98 SEK 18.85

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$8.83 SEK 84.2

-54.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$7.85 SEK 74.8

-39.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.56 SEK 14.86

-19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.07 SEK 29.31

-29.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.69 SEK 35.19

-54.20%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.52 SEK 33.61

40.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$10.03 SEK 95.7

78.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$10.12 SEK 96.5

-5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$18.16 SEK 173

6.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.75 SEK 26.19

17.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.42 SEK 23.11

-9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.61 SEK 24.90

2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$4.13 SEK 39.35

-32.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.53 SEK 14.58

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.41 SEK 13.44

55.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.84 SEK 17.57

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.98 SEK 9.30

-6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$7.78 SEK 74.1

-8.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$9.49 SEK 90.5

-14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.74 SEK 16.59

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.43 SEK 13.62

94.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.51 SEK 33.45

-10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$90.7 SEK 865

-70.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$6.21 SEK 59.2

-47.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$6.41 SEK 61.1

-76.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.85 SEK 17.60

-5.41%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$32.2K SEK 307.0K

13.84%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$32.5K SEK 309.4K

-4.68%

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

$188 €161

$102 SEK 976

83.38%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$29.85 SEK 285

-48.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$31.63 SEK 302

19.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$41.82 SEK 399

36.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$12.69 SEK 121

32.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$14.33 SEK 137

-19.19%

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

$1,003 €862

$145 SEK 1,384

590.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$91.8 SEK 876

-2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$29.13 SEK 278

40.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$78.6 SEK 749

39.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$138 SEK 1,320

-11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$701 SEK 6,682

138.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$631 SEK 6,020

110.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,230 SEK 11.7K

111.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$926 SEK 8,833

110.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$2,516 SEK 24.0K

201.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$1,357 SEK 12.9K

295.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$3,141 SEK 29.9K

-23.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.88

-18.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $701 in Sundsvall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $82.0 in Sundsvall. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $327, with Sundsvall 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 Sundsvall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sundsvall differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,807 including rent). Sundsvall is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $701 in Sundsvall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $145 in Sundsvall. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,807 in Sundsvall versus $2,495 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 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.