Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Ystad: $1,646 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ystad
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Ystad Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Ystad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Ystad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Ystad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,646 in Ystad.

Barcelona $2,453
Ystad $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,592 in Ystad.

Barcelona $3,509
Ystad $2,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,538 in Ystad.

Barcelona $4,564
Ystad $3,538

Living in Barcelona is roughly 49% more expensive than in Ystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.80

$12.15 SEK 121

44.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$86.1 SEK 855

-21.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.15

$10.23 SEK 102

32.26%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.87

$3.06 SEK 30.41

4.25%

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

$2.91 €2.62

$2.98 SEK 29.60

-2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.27 SEK 22.52

-16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$6.99 SEK 69.5

-42.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.07

$7.39 SEK 73.3

-38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.71 SEK 16.94

-23.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.80 SEK 27.80

-27.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$3.15 SEK 31.24

-41.27%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.34

$3.10 SEK 30.76

55.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.03

$11.51 SEK 114

45.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.19

$8.84 SEK 87.8

3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.64

$16.46 SEK 164

19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$2.99 SEK 29.70

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.44 SEK 24.26

-17.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.43

$2.93 SEK 29.14

-7.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$4.52 SEK 44.85

-38.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.54 SEK 15.33

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$1.70 SEK 16.84

21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.96 SEK 19.42

-25.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.66 SEK 16.47

-43.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.17

$8.19 SEK 81.3

-16.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.08

$12.05 SEK 120

-34.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.05 SEK 20.35

-31.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.28 SEK 22.69

11.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$3.36 SEK 33.35

-6.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.86

$79.1 SEK 785

-67.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.69

$6.05 SEK 60.1

-50.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.74 SEK 17.27

-14.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.98

$59.2 SEK 588

-43.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.77 SEK 17.57

1.69%

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

$33.2K €29.8K

$29.9K SEK 297.1K

10.97%

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

$31.7K €28.5K

$33.3K SEK 330.7K

-4.81%

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

$180 €162

$105 SEK 1,042

72.00%

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

$13.84 €12.43

$19.69 SEK 196

-29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.27

$30.14 SEK 299

11.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.27

$37.44 SEK 372

37.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.34

$26.36 SEK 262

-39.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.88

$12.15 SEK 121

-9.55%

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

$917 €823

$180 SEK 1,786

409.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$4,351 SEK 43.2K

278.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.2

$51.3 SEK 509

69.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.59

$33.38 SEK 332

15.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.1

$87.4 SEK 868

21.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €108

$133 SEK 1,326

-10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,527

$792 SEK 7,866

114.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,217

$612 SEK 6,083

121.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,338

$1,354 SEK 13.4K

92.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,853

$1,023 SEK 10.2K

101.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,211

$4,023 SEK 40.0K

71.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,606

$2,767 SEK 27.5K

85.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,986

$1,881 SEK 18.7K

17.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

3.06

7.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ystad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Ystad

$612 37.2% 54.8% $743

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Ystad

$337 20.5% 4.6% $15

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Ystad

$235 14.3% 12.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Ystad

$155 9.4% 32.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Ystad

$137 8.4% 13% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Ystad

$62 3.8% 16% $12

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Ystad

$107 6.5% 121% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $792 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 18% 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: $67 in Barcelona vs $86 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $337 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇸🇪 Ystad

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

18,350

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Ystad 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Ystad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 ($2,453 vs $1,646 including rent). Ystad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $792 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $180 in Ystad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,646 in Ystad versus $2,453 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ystad wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.