Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varnamo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Varnamo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,803 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,833 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,863 in Varnamo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than in Varnamo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Varnamo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$12.77 SEK 121

34.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$88.7 SEK 843

-23.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$11.98 SEK 114

13.86%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.93 SEK 46.85

-43.61%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.87 SEK 27.24

-1.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.13 SEK 20.21

-7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$8.03 SEK 76.3

-44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$7.58 SEK 72.0

-39.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.60 SEK 15.25

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.16 SEK 20.55

-1.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.06 SEK 29.04

-34.97%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$4.62 SEK 43.84

-27.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.84 SEK 122

47.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$11.69 SEK 111

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$17.16 SEK 163

9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.21 SEK 30.47

-17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.87 SEK 27.22

-18.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.89 SEK 27.45

-27.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.45 SEK 42.23

-38.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.74 SEK 16.49

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.59 SEK 15.06

13.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.55 SEK 24.27

-40.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.24 SEK 11.82

-28.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.84 SEK 74.5

-13.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$11.27 SEK 107

-29.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.03 SEK 19.29

-32.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.23 SEK 21.21

7.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$3.30 SEK 31.39

-11.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$73.4 SEK 697

-60.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$5.53 SEK 52.5

-17.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.53 SEK 24.08

-19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$63.9 SEK 607

-55.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.97 SEK 18.69

-7.61%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.3K SEK 306.9K

21.71%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.2K SEK 325.1K

-5.11%

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

$187 €162

$119 SEK 1,132

56.58%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$29.16 SEK 277

-23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$40.96 SEK 389

-11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$41.18 SEK 391

39.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$25.42 SEK 242

-18.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$18.14 SEK 172

-40.63%

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

$725 €628

$176 SEK 1,674

311.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,148 SEK 39.4K

265.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$81.4 SEK 774

7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$60.8 SEK 577

-39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$104 SEK 991

-0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$128 SEK 1,217

-7.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$852 SEK 8,094

78.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$665 SEK 6,320

84.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,387 SEK 13.2K

96.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,098 SEK 10.4K

80.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,181 SEK 39.7K

78.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,906 SEK 27.6K

80.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,092 SEK 19.9K

14.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.8

-29.37%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $852 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $89.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $355 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 Varnamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Varnamo differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,803 including rent). Varnamo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $852 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $176 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,803 in Varnamo versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Varnamo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Varnamo 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 Varnamo 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 Varnamo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.