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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,767 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $2,748 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $3,728 in Ystad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 32% more expensive than Ystad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Ystad 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$11.51 SEK 106

51.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$92.2 SEK 848

-24.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$10.38 SEK 95.5

34.01%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$3.94 SEK 36.22

-30.46%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$2.95 SEK 27.17

-8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.53 SEK 23.24

-19.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$6.22 SEK 57.2

-27.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$8.01 SEK 73.7

-42.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.70 SEK 15.62

-24.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$3.02 SEK 27.80

-30.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$3.19 SEK 29.31

-37.62%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$3.13 SEK 28.82

10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$11.86 SEK 109

56.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$9.61 SEK 88.4

-2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$18.59 SEK 171

0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$3.18 SEK 29.22

-17.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.65 SEK 24.35

-9.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.87 SEK 26.44

-23.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$4.28 SEK 39.42

-34.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.75 SEK 16.06

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.86 SEK 17.13

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.21 SEK 20.29

-34.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.56 SEK 14.38

-41.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$7.76 SEK 71.4

-12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$11.73 SEK 108

-34.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.15 SEK 19.81

-35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.52 SEK 23.19

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$3.45 SEK 31.76

-16.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$75.0 SEK 690

-61.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$10.08 SEK 92.8

-56.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.61 SEK 14.79

32.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$62.7 SEK 577

-53.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.86 SEK 17.16

2.15%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$26.4K SEK 242.5K

43.77%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$29.5K SEK 271.1K

12.99%

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

$186 €158

$119 SEK 1,097

55.66%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$20.97 SEK 193

5.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$32.04 SEK 295

13.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$41.24 SEK 379

41.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$25.32 SEK 233

-18.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$12.68 SEK 117

-12.46%

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

$705 €601

$176 SEK 1,618

300.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,208 SEK 38.7K

261.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$52.0 SEK 478

66.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$39.35 SEK 362

-6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$96.7 SEK 890

7.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$155 SEK 1,422

-25.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$843 SEK 7,752

82.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$651 SEK 5,992

90.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$1,374 SEK 12.6K

98.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$1,078 SEK 9,913

86.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$4,350 SEK 40.0K

64.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$3,197 SEK 29.4K

51.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$2,012 SEK 18.5K

22.97%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Ystad: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $843 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 23% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $92 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $352 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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,767 including rent). Ystad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 23% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $843 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,767 in Ystad versus $2,336 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.