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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,918 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $2,919 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $3,920 in Vasteras.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 30% more expensive than in Vasteras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Vasteras 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$14.84 SEK 141

23.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$67.0 SEK 638

3.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$10.49 SEK 100

34.70%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$4.57 SEK 43.57

-31.51%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$2.44 SEK 23.22

23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.22 SEK 21.17

-11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$7.33 SEK 69.9

-45.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$7.29 SEK 69.5

-34.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.47 SEK 14.00

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.14 SEK 29.91

-31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.76 SEK 35.88

-55.05%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.21 SEK 40.11

17.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$12.34 SEK 118

44.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$13.49 SEK 129

-28.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$23.27 SEK 222

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.25 SEK 30.98

-0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.55 SEK 24.27

-14.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.73 SEK 35.56

-28.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$4.08 SEK 38.90

-32.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.49 SEK 14.16

48.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.79 SEK 17.03

22.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.24 SEK 21.34

-32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.52 SEK 14.49

-39.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$7.47 SEK 71.3

-4.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$12.29 SEK 117

-33.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.39 SEK 13.27

7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.22 SEK 21.14

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.41 SEK 32.53

-7.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$72.9 SEK 695

-62.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$3.56 SEK 33.90

-8.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.94 SEK 28.08

-48.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$85.1 SEK 812

-59.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.85 SEK 17.63

-5.41%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$34.6K SEK 329.4K

6.10%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$34.8K SEK 331.3K

-10.97%

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

$188 €161

$188 SEK 1,788

0.05%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$23.51 SEK 224

-34.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$45.39 SEK 433

-16.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$34.95 SEK 333

63.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$21.25 SEK 203

-20.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$17.16 SEK 164

-32.52%

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

$1,003 €862

$156 SEK 1,484

544.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$5,175 SEK 49.3K

228.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$110 SEK 1,045

-18.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$40.98 SEK 391

-0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$90.0 SEK 859

22.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$141 SEK 1,340

-12.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$769 SEK 7,328

117.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$620 SEK 5,916

114.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,400 SEK 13.3K

85.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$1,046 SEK 9,972

86.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$3,789 SEK 36.1K

99.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,552 SEK 24.3K

110.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$3,133 SEK 29.9K

-23.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.53

-10.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $769 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 30% 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 $67.0 in Vasteras. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $390, 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,918 including rent). Vasteras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $769 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 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 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,918 in Vasteras versus $2,495 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.