Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vaxjo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Vaxjo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,764 in Vaxjo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,643 in Vaxjo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,523 in Vaxjo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than Vaxjo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Vaxjo 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$12.51 SEK 117

40.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.9 SEK 652

-2.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.44 SEK 97.5

34.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.13 SEK 38.51

-32.69%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.24 SEK 11.60

125.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.31 SEK 12.21

57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.49 SEK 69.9

-40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.82 SEK 63.6

-32.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 SEK 16.78

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.32 SEK 21.67

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.94 SEK 36.76

-51.27%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.92 SEK 36.62

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$13.79 SEK 129

33.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$11.38 SEK 106

-16.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$13.72 SEK 128

39.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.69 SEK 34.46

-28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.69 SEK 25.11

-8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.56 SEK 14.58

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.61 SEK 42.99

-38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.55 SEK 14.48

31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.02 SEK 18.81

-8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.76 SEK 25.74

-46.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.63 SEK 15.22

-48.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$7.13 SEK 66.5

0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$10.04 SEK 93.7

-21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.78 SEK 16.61

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.89 SEK 17.62

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.03 SEK 28.25

-1.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$67.6 SEK 631

-56.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$10.54 SEK 98.3

-56.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.65 SEK 15.36

25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$21.48 SEK 200

35.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.98 SEK 18.46

-7.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.4K SEK 302.0K

20.55%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$32.2K SEK 300.2K

1.62%

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

$188 €162

$88.6 SEK 826

112.11%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$27.95 SEK 261

-17.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$32.23 SEK 301

13.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$38.87 SEK 363

47.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$25.74 SEK 240

-19.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$16.62 SEK 155

-32.67%

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

$721 €620

$147 SEK 1,371

390.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$752 SEK 7,020

1899.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$106 SEK 993

-18.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$26.54 SEK 248

39.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$101 SEK 947

0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$143 SEK 1,330

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$845 SEK 7,889

81.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$678 SEK 6,324

80.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,571 SEK 14.7K

71.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$990 SEK 9,234

103.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,620 SEK 24.4K

98.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,306 SEK 30.8K

-28.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.53

-25.17%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Vaxjo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $845 in Vaxjo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaxjo pays 40% 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 $70.0 in Vaxjo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $348 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 Vaxjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Vaxjo differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,764 including rent). Vaxjo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Vaxjo earns 40% 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 $845 in Vaxjo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $147 in Vaxjo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,764 in Vaxjo versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vaxjo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Vaxjo 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 Vaxjo 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 Vaxjo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.