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: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $1,527 in Trollhattan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $2,369 in Trollhattan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $3,211 in Trollhattan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 57% more expensive than in Trollhattan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 79% above, Trollhattan 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.03

$12.03 SEK 120

49.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.1

$81.1 SEK 808

-16.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.92

$11.12 SEK 111

20.23%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$2.42 SEK 24.16

38.02%

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

$2.95 €2.63

$1.33 SEK 13.28

121.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.28 SEK 12.80

48.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.46

$7.65 SEK 76.2

-49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

$7.37 SEK 73.5

-37.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.35 SEK 13.47

-5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.74

$2.24 SEK 22.34

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.67 SEK 26.58

-34.46%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$3.67 SEK 36.55

33.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.58

$9.39 SEK 93.6

86.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.08

$8.83 SEK 88.1

2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €17.99

$15.22 SEK 152

32.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$1.26 SEK 12.61

144.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.45 SEK 24.41

-17.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.81 SEK 27.97

-7.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$2.34 SEK 23.37

15.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.52 SEK 15.13

41.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.22 SEK 12.15

81.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.93 SEK 19.27

-20.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.12 SEK 11.18

-16.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$7.43 SEK 74.1

-4.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.80

$7.86 SEK 78.3

-2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.41 SEK 14.08

5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.92 SEK 19.17

42.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

$3.73 SEK 37.23

-20.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.11

$79.5 SEK 792

-67.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.79

$3.53 SEK 35.23

-11.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.76 SEK 17.58

-17.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.46

$53.9 SEK 538

-36.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.73 SEK 17.26

3.47%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$32.3K SEK 322.4K

7.27%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$32.1K SEK 320.0K

-5.62%

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

$181 €161

$182 SEK 1,813

-0.64%

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

$13.56 €12.09

$22.28 SEK 222

-39.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.31

$34.74 SEK 346

1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.40

$34.16 SEK 341

55.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.31

$32.64 SEK 325

-50.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.13

$14.58 SEK 145

-22.02%

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

$939 €837

$148 SEK 1,471

536.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$5,072 SEK 50.6K

225.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$98.3 SEK 980

-10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.46

$39.22 SEK 391

1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$88.7 SEK 884

16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$88.9 SEK 886

34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,512

$633 SEK 6,308

167.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,160

$483 SEK 4,816

169.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,297

$1,023 SEK 10.2K

151.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,731

$780 SEK 7,780

148.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,660

$2,859 SEK 28.5K

161.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,631

$2,492 SEK 24.8K

108.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,050

$3,162 SEK 31.5K

-27.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

3.53

-7.08%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Trollhattan: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $633 in Trollhattan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trollhattan pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $81.0 in Trollhattan. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $278, with Trollhattan 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 Trollhattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Trollhattan differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $1,527 including rent). Trollhattan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $633 in Trollhattan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Barcelona versus $148 in Trollhattan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,527 in Trollhattan versus $2,405 in Barcelona, a $1,000 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 57% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.