Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ystad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ystad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,664 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,696 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,728 in Ystad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 49% more expensive than in Ystad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Ystad 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$12.39 SEK 120

48.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$91.0 SEK 882

-23.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$10.45 SEK 101

34.45%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.15 SEK 30.57

-1.27%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.06 SEK 29.63

-3.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.40 SEK 23.23

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$7.23 SEK 70.1

-44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$7.65 SEK 74.1

-39.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.79 SEK 17.38

-26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.83 SEK 27.42

-25.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.20 SEK 31.00

-42.81%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.17 SEK 30.68

62.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$12.07 SEK 117

45.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$9.54 SEK 92.4

-0.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$17.30 SEK 168

15.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.21 SEK 31.13

-1.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.57 SEK 24.93

-14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.14 SEK 30.41

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.51 SEK 43.69

-36.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.59 SEK 15.40

36.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.75 SEK 16.92

20.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.08 SEK 20.18

-22.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.73 SEK 16.74

-49.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$8.10 SEK 78.5

-11.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.72 SEK 123

-34.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.21 SEK 21.45

-32.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.35 SEK 22.78

17.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.40 SEK 33.00

-7.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$79.0 SEK 766

-66.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$6.22 SEK 60.3

-48.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.72 SEK 16.68

-12.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$62.5 SEK 606

-43.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.87 SEK 18.11

-6.42%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$31.8K SEK 308.1K

15.33%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$34.5K SEK 334.0K

-8.07%

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

$187 €161

$108 SEK 1,051

72.57%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$19.86 SEK 192

-23.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$31.54 SEK 306

19.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$39.45 SEK 382

40.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$29.62 SEK 287

-43.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$12.52 SEK 121

-6.47%

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

$1,011 €871

$187 SEK 1,815

440.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$4,480 SEK 43.4K

281.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$52.3 SEK 507

74.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$33.97 SEK 329

20.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$95.4 SEK 925

15.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$135 SEK 1,309

-6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$825 SEK 7,993

106.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$606 SEK 5,870

114.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,372 SEK 13.3K

88.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,046 SEK 10.1K

84.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$4,267 SEK 41.4K

81.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,891 SEK 28.0K

86.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,951 SEK 18.9K

21.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.06

3.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ystad: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $825 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $91.0 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $353 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 Ystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ystad differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,664 including rent). Ystad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $825 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $187 in Ystad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,664 in Ystad versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ystad but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ystad 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 Ystad 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 Ystad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.