Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,810 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,840 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,870 in Varberg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than Varberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Varberg 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$13.96 SEK 132

22.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$84.2 SEK 799

-17.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$9.95 SEK 94.4

38.49%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$4.23 SEK 40.12

-34.75%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$0.92 SEK 8.74

203.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.91 SEK 8.68

118.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$7.79 SEK 73.8

-44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$8.08 SEK 76.7

-41.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.52 SEK 14.40

-15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$3.12 SEK 29.59

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.51 SEK 33.27

-43.30%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$4.41 SEK 41.83

-23.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$12.15 SEK 115

54.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$11.51 SEK 109

-18.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$20.97 SEK 199

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$3.39 SEK 32.10

-20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.90 SEK 27.48

-19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$3.29 SEK 31.23

-35.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$4.98 SEK 47.19

-42.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.55 SEK 14.74

27.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.89 SEK 17.96

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$2.49 SEK 23.64

-41.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.18 SEK 11.22

-27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.35 SEK 69.7

-7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$10.61 SEK 101

-25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.07 SEK 19.62

-32.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.26 SEK 11.92

88.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$2.93 SEK 27.77

-0.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$74.8 SEK 709

-61.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$5.24 SEK 49.69

-14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$2.65 SEK 25.14

-22.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$56.3 SEK 534

-47.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.99 SEK 18.91

-8.54%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$32.3K SEK 305.8K

20.39%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$34.3K SEK 325.0K

-3.43%

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

$189 €164

$157 SEK 1,491

20.31%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$21.27 SEK 202

7.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$31.22 SEK 296

20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$41.03 SEK 389

40.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$25.33 SEK 240

-18.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$16.62 SEK 158

-34.90%

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

$728 €631

$161 SEK 1,526

352.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$4,144 SEK 39.3K

256.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$90.2 SEK 855

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$42.45 SEK 402

-13.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$98.2 SEK 931

3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$155 SEK 1,474

-25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$834 SEK 7,911

88.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$653 SEK 6,195

86.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$1,413 SEK 13.4K

97.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

80.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$6,916 SEK 65.6K

12.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$3,720 SEK 35.3K

39.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$3,323 SEK 31.5K

-29.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.9

78.42%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Varberg: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $834 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $84.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $374 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 Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Varberg differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,810 including rent). Varberg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Varberg earns 42% less. 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $834 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $161 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,810 in Varberg versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varberg but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Varberg 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 Varberg 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 Varberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.