Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Trollhattan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Trollhattan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,607 in Trollhattan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $2,556 in Trollhattan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $3,504 in Trollhattan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 44% more expensive than in Trollhattan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Trollhattan 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.07

$12.30 SEK 119

39.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$82.5 SEK 801

-14.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$10.57 SEK 103

32.64%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$3.75 SEK 36.37

-25.87%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.38 SEK 13.41

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.34 SEK 13.01

52.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$7.72 SEK 74.9

-41.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$7.82 SEK 75.8

-40.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.53 SEK 14.84

-15.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.36 SEK 22.90

-9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$3.79 SEK 36.81

-49.08%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$3.93 SEK 38.09

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.24

$12.01 SEK 117

54.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$9.30 SEK 90.2

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.57

$14.83 SEK 144

27.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$3.32 SEK 32.24

-21.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$2.56 SEK 24.84

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.54 SEK 34.32

-41.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$3.64 SEK 35.27

-21.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.09 SEK 20.25

-6.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.03 SEK 19.70

-8.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.93 SEK 28.44

-47.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.86 SEK 18.02

-51.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$8.10 SEK 78.6

-16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$8.12 SEK 78.8

-4.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.29 SEK 12.47

6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.67 SEK 16.16

38.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$3.40 SEK 32.96

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.10

$72.7 SEK 705

-60.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$3.78 SEK 36.68

21.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.54 SEK 24.63

-16.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.91

$42.46 SEK 412

-30.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.98 SEK 19.17

-9.09%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$33.0K SEK 320.5K

16.39%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$34.7K SEK 336.9K

-4.22%

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

$185 €162

$187 SEK 1,812

-1.03%

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

$22.68 €19.89

$28.28 SEK 274

-19.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.25

$31.68 SEK 307

16.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$40.73 SEK 395

41.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.58

$25.12 SEK 244

-15.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$14.59 SEK 142

-25.77%

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

$727 €637

$156 SEK 1,515

365.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$1,394 SEK 13.5K

957.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$83.8 SEK 813

4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.76

$31.33 SEK 304

19.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$83.2 SEK 807

24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$122 SEK 1,187

-3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,368

$622 SEK 6,039

150.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$470 SEK 4,557

159.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,404

$1,129 SEK 11.0K

142.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,746

$820 SEK 7,959

142.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,567

$2,973 SEK 28.8K

151.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,566

$2,602 SEK 25.2K

100.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,064

$3,317 SEK 32.2K

-29.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.2

-19.29%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Trollhattan: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $622 in Trollhattan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trollhattan pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $83.0 in Trollhattan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $331 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 Trollhattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Trollhattan differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,607 including rent). Trollhattan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Trollhattan. 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $622 in Trollhattan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $156 in Trollhattan. 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 $1,607 in Trollhattan versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Trollhattan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Trollhattan 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 Trollhattan 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 Trollhattan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.