Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tumba Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tumba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,430 in Barcelona versus $1,909 in Tumba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,438 in Barcelona versus $2,894 in Tumba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,446 in Barcelona versus $3,879 in Tumba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in Tumba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Tumba 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.37 €16.12

$14.13 SEK 140

30.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €60.1

$65.1 SEK 646

5.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.84 €12.15

$10.15 SEK 101

36.35%

Cappuccino

$3.27 €2.87

$4.33 SEK 42.91

-24.48%

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

$2.89 €2.54

$2.73 SEK 27.10

5.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.64

$2.16 SEK 21.41

-13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 €3.47

$7.20 SEK 71.4

-45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.92

$7.24 SEK 71.8

-38.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.70 SEK 16.86

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.91

$3.04 SEK 30.12

-28.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 €1.56

$3.80 SEK 37.70

-53.16%

Eggs

$4.97 €4.36

$5.03 SEK 49.84

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.82 €15.64

$12.80 SEK 127

39.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 €8.30

$12.98 SEK 129

-27.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.73

$17.14 SEK 170

17.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.77

$3.19 SEK 31.63

-0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$2.73 SEK 27.06

-21.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.29

$2.01 SEK 19.96

29.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.49

$4.47 SEK 44.34

-36.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.93

$1.45 SEK 14.40

51.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.82

$1.73 SEK 17.20

19.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.37

$2.25 SEK 22.33

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.77

$1.85 SEK 18.34

-52.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.33 €6.43

$7.04 SEK 69.8

4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.02

$10.29 SEK 102

-22.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.35

$2.02 SEK 20.05

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.44

$2.35 SEK 23.29

18.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 €2.72

$4.37 SEK 43.33

-29.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 €22.64

$103 SEK 1,017

-74.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 €2.82

$5.97 SEK 59.2

-46.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.50 SEK 14.85

-1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.21 €30.03

$57.2 SEK 567

-40.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.76 SEK 17.47

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

$36.1K €31.7K

$33.4K SEK 331.1K

8.16%

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

$31.3K €27.5K

$32.9K SEK 325.9K

-4.80%

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

$190 €167

$180 SEK 1,786

5.64%

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

$15.32 €13.44

$21.87 SEK 217

-29.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.13 €32.59

$47.36 SEK 470

-21.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.28

$40.85 SEK 405

34.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 €14.73

$28.65 SEK 284

-41.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.45 €10.05

$16.54 SEK 164

-30.77%

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

$972 €853

$160 SEK 1,586

507.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.6K

$5,015 SEK 49.7K

230.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 €80.3

$112 SEK 1,107

-18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €35.47

$54.4 SEK 539

-25.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €96.2

$95.8 SEK 949

14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$191 SEK 1,896

-36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 €1,453

$804 SEK 7,976

105.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,150

$578 SEK 5,735

126.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,629 €2,308

$1,520 SEK 15.1K

72.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 €1,701

$988 SEK 9,791

96.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,607 €6,677

$3,551 SEK 35.2K

114.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,114 €4,489

$2,923 SEK 29.0K

74.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,385 €2,093

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: September 19, 2026

Last update for Tumba: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in Barcelona and $804 in Tumba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $65.0 in Tumba. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $375, 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 Tumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tumba differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,430 vs $1,909 including rent). Tumba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,646 in Barcelona and $2,864 in Tumba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,655 in Barcelona versus $804 in Tumba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in Barcelona versus $160 in Tumba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,909 in Tumba versus $2,430 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tumba but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tumba 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 Tumba 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 Tumba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.