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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,760 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,784 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,809 in Ystad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 33% more expensive than Ystad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ystad 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$11.51 SEK 109

48.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$90.6 SEK 859

-23.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$10.49 SEK 99.4

31.36%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$3.96 SEK 37.59

-30.30%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$3.00 SEK 28.44

-7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$2.61 SEK 24.74

-23.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$6.51 SEK 61.8

-33.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$8.07 SEK 76.6

-41.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.76 SEK 16.70

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$2.93 SEK 27.75

-30.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.20 SEK 30.36

-37.81%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$3.13 SEK 29.71

8.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$11.68 SEK 111

61.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$9.71 SEK 92.1

-3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$18.89 SEK 179

1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$3.14 SEK 29.73

-14.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.67 SEK 25.30

-12.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$3.04 SEK 28.82

-30.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$4.32 SEK 40.98

-34.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.66 SEK 15.73

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.95 SEK 18.46

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$2.21 SEK 20.92

-34.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.62 SEK 15.33

-46.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$8.11 SEK 76.9

-16.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$12.78 SEK 121

-38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.26 SEK 21.43

-38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.63 SEK 24.90

-9.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$3.35 SEK 31.80

-12.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$74.1 SEK 703

-61.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$10.44 SEK 99.0

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.59 SEK 15.07

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$62.7 SEK 595

-52.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.88 SEK 17.84

-3.19%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$26.0K SEK 246.4K

49.40%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$29.7K SEK 281.7K

11.40%

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

$189 €164

$121 SEK 1,150

55.98%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$20.71 SEK 196

10.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$31.16 SEK 295

20.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$40.52 SEK 384

42.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$25.39 SEK 241

-18.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$12.76 SEK 121

-15.20%

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

$728 €631

$176 SEK 1,670

313.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$4,200 SEK 39.8K

251.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$52.4 SEK 497

69.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$39.20 SEK 372

-5.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$96.8 SEK 918

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$151 SEK 1,434

-23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$848 SEK 8,045

84.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$644 SEK 6,104

89.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$1,396 SEK 13.2K

100.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$1,067 SEK 10.1K

85.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$4,373 SEK 41.5K

77.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$2,924 SEK 27.7K

77.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$1,915 SEK 18.2K

22.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ystad: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $848 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 $319 vs $357 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,760 including rent). Ystad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 22% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $848 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $176 in Ystad. 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 $1,760 in Ystad versus $2,337 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 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.