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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,814 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,828 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,842 in Varnamo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 29% more expensive than Varnamo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Varnamo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$12.57 SEK 117

40.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$87.3 SEK 812

-21.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$12.19 SEK 113

12.80%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$5.05 SEK 46.93

-45.35%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.84 SEK 26.38

-2.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.07 SEK 19.28

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$8.00 SEK 74.4

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$7.51 SEK 69.8

-38.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.60 SEK 14.90

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.13 SEK 19.83

-0.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.94 SEK 27.34

-32.99%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$4.44 SEK 41.29

-22.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$13.16 SEK 122

43.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$11.74 SEK 109

-19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$16.83 SEK 157

12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.17 SEK 29.50

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.82 SEK 26.23

-15.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.77 SEK 25.75

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.52 SEK 42.07

-38.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.69 SEK 15.69

16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.59 SEK 14.83

12.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.66 SEK 24.78

-43.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.28 SEK 11.89

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$8.20 SEK 76.3

-17.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$12.22 SEK 114

-38.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.02 SEK 18.80

-28.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.25 SEK 20.91

7.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$3.48 SEK 32.36

-12.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$73.7 SEK 686

-61.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$5.61 SEK 52.2

-21.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.56 SEK 23.77

-19.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$63.8 SEK 593

-54.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.89 SEK 17.61

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$32.7K SEK 303.8K

18.60%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$34.1K SEK 316.8K

-5.00%

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

$189 €161

$123 SEK 1,141

53.66%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$29.26 SEK 272

-24.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$40.11 SEK 373

-8.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$41.27 SEK 384

40.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$24.88 SEK 231

-15.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$17.70 SEK 165

-37.57%

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

$726 €622

$179 SEK 1,664

305.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,165 SEK 38.7K

265.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$80.2 SEK 746

10.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$61.0 SEK 567

-39.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$106 SEK 986

-3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$127 SEK 1,181

-6.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$833 SEK 7,743

83.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$663 SEK 6,169

83.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

102.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,065 SEK 9,902

90.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$4,394 SEK 40.9K

61.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$3,014 SEK 28.0K

60.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,169 SEK 20.2K

10.82%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $833 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 11% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $87.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 29% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,814 including rent). Varnamo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 11% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $833 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $179 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 $1,814 in Varnamo versus $2,341 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 29% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.