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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,737 in Vaxjo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,640 in Vaxjo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,544 in Vaxjo.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Vaxjo 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$12.59 SEK 122

40.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$68.0 SEK 658

2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.54 SEK 102

34.35%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.04 SEK 39.07

-30.69%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.27 SEK 12.32

121.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.29 SEK 12.53

59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.32 SEK 70.9

-37.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.00 SEK 67.8

-33.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.77 SEK 17.14

-30.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.37 SEK 22.96

-14.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.06 SEK 39.31

-51.23%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.02 SEK 38.95

-13.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.82 SEK 134

32.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$11.58 SEK 112

-15.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$13.82 SEK 134

38.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.52 SEK 34.13

-22.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.69 SEK 26.07

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.55 SEK 14.97

34.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.67 SEK 45.25

-41.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.57 SEK 15.18

24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.02 SEK 19.60

-11.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.78 SEK 26.94

-46.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.69 SEK 16.37

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$7.17 SEK 69.4

-0.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.43 SEK 91.3

-16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.71 SEK 16.57

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.95 SEK 18.89

22.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$3.11 SEK 30.11

-3.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$67.3 SEK 652

-56.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$10.64 SEK 103

-59.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.60 SEK 15.46

33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$21.41 SEK 207

38.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.97 SEK 19.11

-7.61%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$32.6K SEK 315.5K

16.27%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$31.1K SEK 301.1K

4.13%

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

$189 €166

$91.5 SEK 886

106.68%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.97 SEK 271

-20.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$32.21 SEK 312

15.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$39.24 SEK 380

47.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$25.72 SEK 249

-19.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$16.85 SEK 163

-35.49%

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

$706 €618

$146 SEK 1,415

383.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$731 SEK 7,076

1934.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$107 SEK 1,035

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$25.93 SEK 251

41.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$101 SEK 976

3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$142 SEK 1,379

-16.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$839 SEK 8,121

88.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$680 SEK 6,583

82.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,593 SEK 15.4K

70.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$991 SEK 9,599

105.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,516 SEK 24.4K

108.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$3,239 SEK 31.4K

-27.03%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Vaxjo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $839 in Vaxjo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaxjo pays 37% 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 Vaxjo. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $349, 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 Vaxjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Vaxjo differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,737 including rent). Vaxjo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Vaxjo. 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 $839 in Vaxjo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $146 in Vaxjo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,737 in Vaxjo versus $2,320 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.