Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vasteras Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vasteras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,719 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,758 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,797 in Vasteras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 38% more expensive than Vasteras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Vasteras 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$14.87 SEK 140

18.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$68.4 SEK 643

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$10.38 SEK 97.5

35.45%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.45 SEK 41.79

-37.53%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.83 SEK 26.55

-1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.49 SEK 23.41

-17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.85 SEK 73.7

-43.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$7.33 SEK 68.9

-37.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.60 SEK 14.99

-22.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.67 SEK 25.04

-23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.79 SEK 35.57

-49.34%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.07 SEK 38.21

-18.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$11.74 SEK 110

56.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$12.59 SEK 118

-24.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$15.73 SEK 148

21.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.33 SEK 31.27

-20.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.59 SEK 24.33

-5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.59 SEK 33.73

-40.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.79 SEK 35.60

-24.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.55 SEK 14.54

31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.00 SEK 18.79

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.71 SEK 25.41

-45.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.73 SEK 16.26

-51.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$7.26 SEK 68.2

-1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$14.39 SEK 135

-45.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.40 SEK 13.18

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.89 SEK 17.73

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.45 SEK 32.43

-13.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$73.2 SEK 688

-60.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.71 SEK 34.89

23.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.64 SEK 15.45

26.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$85.6 SEK 804

-65.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.96 SEK 18.37

-6.12%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.9K SEK 309.0K

18.59%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$34.8K SEK 327.2K

-6.13%

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

$188 €162

$91.0 SEK 855

106.37%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$29.29 SEK 275

-21.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$36.93 SEK 347

-0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$36.70 SEK 345

56.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$20.74 SEK 195

-0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$19.27 SEK 181

-41.93%

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

$721 €621

$156 SEK 1,463

362.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$5,313 SEK 49.9K

183.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$94.1 SEK 884

-8.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$41.89 SEK 393

-11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$93.6 SEK 879

9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$125 SEK 1,170

-6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$824 SEK 7,743

86.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$591 SEK 5,551

106.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,480 SEK 13.9K

82.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$1,124 SEK 10.6K

79.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$3,944 SEK 37.0K

83.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,666 SEK 25.0K

94.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$3,207 SEK 30.1K

-26.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.87

-30.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $824 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Vasteras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $365 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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Vasteras differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,719 including rent). Vasteras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Vasteras earns 36% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $824 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $156 in Vasteras. 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 $1,719 in Vasteras versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vasteras but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Vasteras 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 Vasteras 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 Vasteras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.