Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taby Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,190 in Taby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $3,162 in Taby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $4,133 in Taby.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 14% more expensive than in Taby, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Taby 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$14.60 SEK 140

25.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$66.5 SEK 636

4.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$10.28 SEK 98.3

37.45%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$4.39 SEK 41.99

-28.70%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.54 SEK 33.89

-14.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.51 SEK 24.00

-21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.52 SEK 71.9

-46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$9.47 SEK 90.6

-49.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.71 SEK 16.39

-26.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.29 SEK 31.43

-34.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.98 SEK 38.08

-57.54%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$5.19 SEK 49.64

-5.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$13.18 SEK 126

35.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$13.65 SEK 131

-29.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$18.20 SEK 174

6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.40 SEK 32.51

-4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.72 SEK 26.02

-19.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.03 SEK 19.43

31.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$4.73 SEK 45.25

-41.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.85 SEK 17.66

19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.80 SEK 17.27

21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.42 SEK 23.12

-37.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.96 SEK 18.76

-53.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$7.49 SEK 71.6

-4.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$12.65 SEK 121

-35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.05 SEK 19.57

-26.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.30 SEK 21.96

20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$4.47 SEK 42.73

-29.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$107 SEK 1,026

-74.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$6.18 SEK 59.1

-47.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.54 SEK 14.71

-2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$57.9 SEK 554

-39.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.90 SEK 18.15

-7.89%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$33.8K SEK 322.9K

8.59%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$33.5K SEK 320.7K

-7.73%

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

$188 €161

$183 SEK 1,746

2.80%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$27.00 SEK 258

-42.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$40.92 SEK 391

-7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$17.44 SEK 167

-33.60%

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

$1,003 €863

$173 SEK 1,653

480.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$17.4K SEK 166.1K

-2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$103 SEK 988

-13.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$55.5 SEK 531

-26.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$98.4 SEK 941

11.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$197 SEK 1,888

-37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,031 SEK 9,861

62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$886 SEK 8,475

50.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$1,438 SEK 13.8K

80.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$1,247 SEK 11.9K

56.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$6,207 SEK 59.4K

22.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$7,277 SEK 69.6K

-26.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$3,440 SEK 32.9K

-30.17%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Taby: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,031 in Taby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taby pays 43% 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 $67.0 in Taby. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $397, 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 Taby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Taby differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $2,190 including rent). Taby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Taby. 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 $1,031 in Taby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $173 in Taby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,190 in Taby versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taby but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Taby 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 Taby 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 Taby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.