Cost of Living Comparison Between Boras and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Boras and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,947 in Boras versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,766 in Boras versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,586 in Boras versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Boras costs roughly 18% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boras 45% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 SEK 119

$17.58 €15.12

-27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 SEK 656

$68.4 €58.9

2.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 SEK 99.4

$14.06 €12.09

-24.25%

Cappuccino

$4.56 SEK 42.56

$2.78 €2.39

64.03%

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

$2.24 SEK 20.89

$2.80 €2.41

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.00

$2.06 €1.78

3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 SEK 74.1

$4.46 €3.84

78.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 SEK 67.9

$4.61 €3.96

57.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.57

$1.24 €1.07

34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 SEK 20.82

$2.03 €1.74

9.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 SEK 28.33

$1.92 €1.65

58.33%

Eggs

$4.50 SEK 42.00

$3.31 €2.85

35.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.10 SEK 122

$18.43 €15.85

-28.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 SEK 109

$9.49 €8.16

22.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 SEK 162

$19.16 €16.48

-9.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.13

$2.64 €2.27

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 26.78

$2.45 €2.11

17.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 SEK 26.25

$2.12 €1.82

32.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 SEK 33.45

$2.85 €2.45

25.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 SEK 15.06

$2.04 €1.75

-21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 14.94

$1.85 €1.59

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 SEK 13.25

$1.47 €1.26

-3.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.67

$0.84 €0.73

73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 SEK 76.9

$7.14 €6.14

15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 SEK 91.8

$7.88 €6.78

24.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 SEK 18.13

$1.38 €1.19

40.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SEK 15.99

$2.31 €1.99

-25.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.73 SEK 34.82

$2.98 €2.56

25.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.6 SEK 808

$29.26 €25.17

195.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 SEK 57.7

$4.60 €3.95

34.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SEK 17.68

$2.07 €1.78

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.9 SEK 596

$29.18 €25.10

118.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 17.76

$1.84 €1.58

3.26%

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

$26.3K SEK 245.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

-32.56%

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

$25.0K SEK 233.5K

$32.7K €28.1K

-23.48%

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

$75.9 SEK 709

$188 €162

-59.57%

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

$28.10 SEK 262

$22.93 €19.73

22.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 SEK 257

$36.71 €31.58

-25.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 SEK 319

$57.4 €49.35

-40.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.96 SEK 224

$20.70 €17.80

15.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 SEK 148

$11.19 €9.63

42.00%

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

$160 SEK 1,496

$721 €620

-77.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,124 SEK 38.5K

$15.0K €12.9K

-72.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SEK 761

$86.2 €74.2

-5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.01 SEK 373

$37.07 €31.89

7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SEK 889

$102 €87.8

-6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 SEK 1,027

$116 €99.7

-5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 SEK 7,891

$1,534 €1,319

-44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 SEK 8,419

$1,220 €1,050

-26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 SEK 12.8K

$2,696 €2,319

-49.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.2K

$2,013 €1,732

-45.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 SEK 36.8K

$7,220 €6,211

-45.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 SEK 31.6K

$5,189 €4,463

-34.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,547 SEK 23.8K

$2,359 €2,029

7.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

3.39

41.59%

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

Last update for Boras: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $846 in Boras and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boras pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Boras vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $318 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

Boras vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boras and Barcelona differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,947 vs $2,367 including rent). Boras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Boras pays 8% 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: $846 in Boras versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Boras versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,947 in Boras versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Boras but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Boras 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, Boras and Barcelona 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 Boras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.