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: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $1,863 in Taby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $2,865 in Taby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $3,868 in Taby.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 26% more expensive than Taby, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Taby 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$13.27 SEK 122

32.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$67.3 SEK 618

1.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$10.39 SEK 95.5

34.36%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$4.68 SEK 42.99

-41.03%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$3.21 SEK 29.52

-14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$2.54 SEK 23.37

-22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$7.54 SEK 69.3

-39.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$8.57 SEK 78.7

-47.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.79 SEK 16.42

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$3.16 SEK 29.04

-35.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$4.05 SEK 37.19

-52.84%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$4.58 SEK 42.06

-25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$12.72 SEK 117

44.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$11.92 SEK 110

-21.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$19.33 SEK 178

-2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.44 SEK 31.62

-23.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$2.66 SEK 24.48

-9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.60 SEK 14.69

32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$4.41 SEK 40.55

-38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.01 SEK 18.44

1.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.89 SEK 17.37

-5.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$2.62 SEK 24.08

-43.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$1.56 SEK 14.36

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$7.35 SEK 67.6

-4.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$14.20 SEK 130

-46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.74 SEK 15.97

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.28 SEK 21.00

1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$4.19 SEK 38.50

-29.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

$101 SEK 929

-70.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$6.13 SEK 56.3

-26.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.19 SEK 10.98

79.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$20.72 SEK 190

39.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.90 SEK 17.47

-0.53%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$32.5K SEK 298.7K

20.11%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$33.7K SEK 309.9K

-3.79%

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

$189 €161

$88.5 SEK 813

113.39%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$29.52 SEK 271

-24.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$37.76 SEK 347

-3.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$47.13 SEK 433

23.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$25.77 SEK 237

-17.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$17.94 SEK 165

-38.63%

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

$731 €622

$165 SEK 1,512

344.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$4,101 SEK 37.7K

261.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$107 SEK 983

-16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$44.58 SEK 410

-16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$117 SEK 1,073

-10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$156 SEK 1,430

-25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$828 SEK 7,613

87.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$658 SEK 6,051

84.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$1,375 SEK 12.6K

103.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,079 SEK 9,918

86.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$4,263 SEK 39.2K

67.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$3,009 SEK 27.7K

66.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$3,678 SEK 33.8K

-33.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.16

-18.51%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 13, 2026

Last update for Taby: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $828 in Taby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taby pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Barcelona vs $67 in Taby. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $382, 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 26% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $1,863 including rent). Taby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taby earns 49% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $828 in Taby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $165 in Taby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,863 in Taby versus $2,356 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 26% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.