Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Swieqi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Swieqi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,268 in Swieqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,401 in Swieqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,534 in Swieqi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 4% more expensive than Swieqi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Swieqi 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$17.64 €15.19

-0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.9 €60.2

-2.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$9.92 €8.54

41.73%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.63 €2.26

5.70%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.74 €2.36

2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.73 €1.49

19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.38 €3.77

1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$5.31 €4.57

-13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.31 €1.13

-5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.37 €1.18

48.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.52 €3.03

-45.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.19 €2.75

3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$8.82 €7.60

108.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$10.35 €8.91

-8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$14.21 €12.24

34.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.37 €2.90

-21.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.06 €1.77

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.77 €2.39

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.20 €2.75

-10.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.87 €1.61

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.86 €2.46

-35.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.86 €1.60

-20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 €0.71

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$6.52 €5.61

9.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.32 €5.44

24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.38 €2.05

-42.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.86 €1.60

24.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.34 €2.02

27.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$15.16 €13.05

93.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.90 €1.63

8.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$58.7 €50.6

-50.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.59 €1.37

15.72%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.0K €22.4K

49.99%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$41.1K €35.4K

-20.50%

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

$188 €162

$158 €136

18.54%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$22.98 €19.78

-0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$32.97 €28.39

11.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$68.5 €59.0

-16.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$22.59 €19.45

-8.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$9.19 €7.91

21.76%

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

$721 €621

$510 €439

41.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$12.9K €11.1K

16.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$75.1 €64.7

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$58.2 €50.2

-36.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$143 €123

-28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$168 €144

-30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$1,195 €1,029

28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,139 €981

7.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$2,988 €2,573

-9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$2,112 €1,818

-4.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$4,973 €4,282

45.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$4,325 €3,724

19.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,446 €1,245

63.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.34

-21.89%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Swieqi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,195 in Swieqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 63% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Swieqi. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $288, with Swieqi 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 Swieqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Swieqi differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,268 including rent). Swieqi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 63% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,195 in Swieqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $510 in Swieqi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,268 in Swieqi versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Swieqi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Swieqi 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 Swieqi 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 Swieqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.