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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,769 in Ystad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $2,726 in Ystad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $3,683 in Ystad.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than in Ystad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Ystad 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$11.51 SEK 112

49.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$94.1 SEK 914

-24.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$10.36 SEK 101

35.33%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$3.95 SEK 38.39

-29.62%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$3.08 SEK 29.91

-9.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.62 SEK 25.41

-21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$6.14 SEK 59.7

-26.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$7.86 SEK 76.4

-40.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.76 SEK 17.07

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$2.97 SEK 28.81

-27.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$3.34 SEK 32.44

-42.22%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$3.09 SEK 29.97

12.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$11.61 SEK 113

59.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$9.60 SEK 93.3

-0.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$18.57 SEK 180

1.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$3.10 SEK 30.06

-15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$2.77 SEK 26.92

-15.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$2.87 SEK 27.89

-27.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$4.22 SEK 40.96

-32.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.67 SEK 16.22

17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$1.87 SEK 18.18

-1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$2.26 SEK 21.97

-32.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.56 SEK 15.17

-42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$8.00 SEK 77.7

-15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$12.14 SEK 118

-35.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.19 SEK 21.26

-36.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.50 SEK 24.26

-7.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$3.35 SEK 32.52

-10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

$74.7 SEK 725

-61.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$10.19 SEK 99.0

-55.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.65 SEK 16.06

29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$61.6 SEK 598

-52.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.87 SEK 18.21

-3.74%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$26.3K SEK 255.3K

46.29%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$29.5K SEK 286.2K

12.86%

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

$185 €163

$120 SEK 1,169

53.61%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$21.33 SEK 207

6.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$32.14 SEK 312

14.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$40.38 SEK 392

43.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

$25.42 SEK 247

-16.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$12.58 SEK 122

-13.91%

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

$727 €639

$173 SEK 1,677

320.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$4,082 SEK 39.6K

260.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$52.4 SEK 509

66.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$39.33 SEK 382

-4.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$96.0 SEK 932

7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$155 SEK 1,504

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$823 SEK 7,994

89.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$653 SEK 6,346

86.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$1,380 SEK 13.4K

98.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$1,065 SEK 10.3K

87.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$4,121 SEK 40.0K

81.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$2,813 SEK 27.3K

85.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$1,895 SEK 18.4K

24.27%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Ystad: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $823 in Ystad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 24% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $94.0 in Ystad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,769 including rent). Ystad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $823 in Ystad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $173 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 $1,769 in Ystad versus $2,316 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.