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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,759 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,796 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,833 in Vasteras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than in Vasteras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Vasteras 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$14.94 SEK 145

18.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$68.2 SEK 660

2.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.55 SEK 102

34.22%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.66 SEK 45.12

-39.91%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.72 SEK 26.32

3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.48 SEK 23.97

-16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.51 SEK 72.7

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.36 SEK 71.3

-36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.53 SEK 14.77

-19.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.64 SEK 25.55

-23.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.79 SEK 36.69

-47.76%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.89 SEK 37.66

-10.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.12 SEK 117

51.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$12.46 SEK 121

-21.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$15.76 SEK 153

21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.31 SEK 32.00

-17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.62 SEK 25.40

-9.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.61 SEK 34.98

-42.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.64 SEK 35.26

-24.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.56 SEK 15.06

25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.93 SEK 18.72

-7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.76 SEK 26.76

-46.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.66 SEK 16.09

-45.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.40 SEK 71.6

-3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$12.48 SEK 121

-36.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.39 SEK 13.48

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.95 SEK 18.92

22.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.32 SEK 32.11

-9.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$73.1 SEK 707

-59.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.75 SEK 36.28

16.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.59 SEK 15.36

33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$82.9 SEK 803

-64.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.98 SEK 19.22

-8.08%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$33.0K SEK 319.3K

14.88%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$34.0K SEK 329.5K

-4.85%

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

$189 €166

$88.6 SEK 857

113.45%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.38 SEK 275

-21.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$36.74 SEK 356

1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$36.70 SEK 355

58.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$21.36 SEK 207

-3.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$19.33 SEK 187

-43.77%

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

$706 €618

$157 SEK 1,524

348.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,227 SEK 50.6K

184.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$95.5 SEK 925

-6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$41.96 SEK 406

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$90.9 SEK 880

14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$123 SEK 1,187

-2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$815 SEK 7,894

93.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$604 SEK 5,849

104.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,480 SEK 14.3K

83.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,133 SEK 11.0K

79.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,787 SEK 36.7K

98.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,478 SEK 24.0K

111.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$3,016 SEK 29.2K

-21.62%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $815 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $68.0 in Vasteras. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $359, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,759 including rent). Vasteras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Vasteras. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $815 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $157 in Vasteras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,759 in Vasteras versus $2,320 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.