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: $2,459 in Barcelona versus $1,960 in Tumba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,452 in Barcelona versus $3,030 in Tumba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,445 in Barcelona versus $4,099 in Tumba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 25% more expensive than in Tumba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Tumba 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 €16.11

$14.56 SEK 138

27.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €57.3

$67.5 SEK 640

-1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.04

$10.63 SEK 101

30.95%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.66

$4.40 SEK 41.65

-30.00%

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

$2.91 €2.52

$2.70 SEK 25.63

7.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.33 SEK 22.10

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.54

$7.26 SEK 68.8

-43.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.94

$7.43 SEK 70.4

-38.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 SEK 17.09

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.92

$3.23 SEK 30.65

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$3.96 SEK 37.51

-54.29%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.27

$5.17 SEK 48.96

-4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 €14.10

$13.79 SEK 131

18.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 €8.17

$13.89 SEK 132

-32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.54

$17.63 SEK 167

8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.79

$3.25 SEK 30.81

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.70 SEK 25.54

-16.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.22

$2.14 SEK 20.25

19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.40

$4.71 SEK 44.64

-41.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.56 SEK 14.80

34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.88 SEK 17.79

20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.39 SEK 22.61

-35.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$1.96 SEK 18.56

-56.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.12

$7.30 SEK 69.2

-3.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.94

$10.62 SEK 101

-24.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.98 SEK 18.72

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.32 SEK 22.01

10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 €2.67

$4.47 SEK 42.32

-30.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.71 €23.10

$108 SEK 1,023

-75.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.91

$6.11 SEK 57.9

-44.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.53 SEK 14.49

18.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 €29.45

$60.8 SEK 576

-43.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.84 SEK 17.43

-8.15%

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

$35.6K €30.8K

$34.4K SEK 325.5K

3.58%

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

$30.4K €26.3K

$34.6K SEK 327.9K

-12.17%

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

$181 €157

$184 SEK 1,743

-1.60%

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

$15.80 €13.67

$23.04 SEK 218

-31.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.62 €31.68

$49.34 SEK 468

-25.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 €47.05

$41.85 SEK 397

29.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 €14.28

$28.69 SEK 272

-42.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.82

$16.63 SEK 158

-31.69%

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

$946 €818

$173 SEK 1,642

445.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K €13.9K

$5,213 SEK 49.4K

208.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 €72.9

$119 SEK 1,132

-29.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €34.94

$56.8 SEK 538

-28.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.5

$98.9 SEK 937

8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$197 SEK 1,862

-37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 €1,465

$732 SEK 6,932

131.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,133

$570 SEK 5,399

129.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 €2,314

$1,468 SEK 13.9K

82.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 €1,609

$941 SEK 8,913

97.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 €6,472

$4,404 SEK 41.7K

69.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,263 €4,552

$3,164 SEK 30.0K

66.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,077

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.2

-2.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 3, 2026

Last update for Tumba: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Barcelona and $732 in Tumba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Barcelona vs $67.0 in Tumba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $392 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 25% in total monthly costs ($2,459 vs $1,960 including rent). Tumba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,689 in Barcelona and $2,940 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: $1,694 in Barcelona versus $732 in Tumba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $946 in Barcelona versus $173 in Tumba. 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 $1,960 in Tumba versus $2,459 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 25% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.