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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,846 in Tumba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,874 in Tumba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,902 in Tumba.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$14.65 SEK 136

20.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$69.1 SEK 643

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$10.37 SEK 96.4

32.59%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.49 SEK 41.71

-38.53%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.73 SEK 25.38

1.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.39 SEK 22.24

-14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$7.23 SEK 67.3

-36.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$7.57 SEK 70.4

-39.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.80 SEK 16.72

-28.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.05 SEK 28.39

-30.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.94 SEK 36.61

-50.00%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.86 SEK 35.86

-10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$12.99 SEK 121

44.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$13.03 SEK 121

-27.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$15.82 SEK 147

20.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.59 SEK 33.36

-24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.61 SEK 24.31

-9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.56 SEK 14.52

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.49 SEK 41.74

-38.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.55 SEK 14.40

27.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.87 SEK 17.42

-4.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.59 SEK 24.05

-41.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.55 SEK 14.41

-41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.22 SEK 67.1

-6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$12.94 SEK 120

-41.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.73 SEK 16.06

-16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.91 SEK 17.75

26.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$4.49 SEK 41.73

-32.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$108 SEK 1,007

-73.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$6.17 SEK 57.4

-28.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.24 SEK 11.56

65.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$21.40 SEK 199

37.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.94 SEK 18.03

-2.58%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$32.4K SEK 301.7K

19.43%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$34.8K SEK 323.3K

-6.92%

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

$189 €161

$90.1 SEK 838

109.22%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$28.10 SEK 261

-20.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$42.22 SEK 393

-12.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$42.63 SEK 396

36.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$25.71 SEK 239

-18.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$16.03 SEK 149

-31.07%

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

$726 €622

$142 SEK 1,316

413.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,110 SEK 38.2K

270.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$106 SEK 987

-16.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$44.06 SEK 410

-16.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$114 SEK 1,062

-10.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$157 SEK 1,458

-23.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$843 SEK 7,842

81.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$654 SEK 6,084

86.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,370 SEK 12.7K

103.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,099 SEK 10.2K

84.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$4,049 SEK 37.7K

75.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$3,184 SEK 29.6K

52.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

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 27, 2026

Last update for Tumba: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $843 in Tumba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Tumba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $369 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 Tumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tumba differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,846 including rent). Tumba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $2,770 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $843 in Tumba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $142 in Tumba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,846 in Tumba versus $2,341 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.