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: $1,902 in Boras versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Boras versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,641 in Boras versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Boras costs roughly 23% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boras 39% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 SEK 129

$18.74 €16.33

-29.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 SEK 913

$69.5 €60.6

33.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 SEK 99.8

$13.77 €12.00

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$4.27 SEK 42.09

$3.10 €2.70

37.74%

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

$2.18 SEK 21.53

$2.83 €2.47

-22.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 20.03

$1.88 €1.64

7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 SEK 72.4

$3.98 €3.47

84.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 SEK 72.3

$4.53 €3.95

62.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 16.52

$1.27 €1.11

32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 SEK 27.63

$2.16 €1.88

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 SEK 30.81

$1.76 €1.53

77.84%

Eggs

$4.64 SEK 45.72

$5.13 €4.47

-9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 SEK 122

$17.88 €15.59

-30.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 SEK 115

$9.65 €8.41

20.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 SEK 166

$20.15 €17.56

-16.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 31.83

$3.25 €2.84

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 28.00

$2.23 €1.94

27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 28.71

$2.60 €2.27

11.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.99

$2.76 €2.40

28.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 15.28

$2.21 €1.93

-29.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 SEK 13.91

$2.12 €1.85

-33.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 SEK 22.55

$1.55 €1.35

47.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 SEK 13.49

$0.95 €0.83

44.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 SEK 67.6

$7.34 €6.40

-6.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 SEK 84.8

$8.05 €7.01

6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.54 €1.35

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.34

$2.79 €2.43

-40.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.87

$3.11 €2.71

20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 SEK 771

$25.86 €22.54

202.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 SEK 50.1

$3.27 €2.85

55.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 SEK 11.34

$1.48 €1.29

-22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.10 SEK 415

$34.27 €29.88

22.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 SEK 18.16

$1.73 €1.51

6.36%

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

$25.3K SEK 249.2K

$36.4K €31.7K

-30.48%

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

$15.1K SEK 149.0K

$30.5K €26.6K

-50.50%

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

$62.1 SEK 612

$187 €163

-66.79%

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

$31.06 SEK 306

$15.14 €13.20

105.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.56 SEK 410

$37.69 €32.85

10.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.29 SEK 348

$55.9 €48.76

-36.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.95 SEK 256

$17.08 €14.89

51.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.39 SEK 152

$11.41 €9.95

34.88%

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

$162 SEK 1,592

$997 €869

-83.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 SEK 501

$92.6 €80.8

-45.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 SEK 500

$41.22 €35.93

23.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 SEK 806

$111 €96.9

-26.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SEK 1,026

$125 €109

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 SEK 8,737

$1,286 €1,121

-31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 SEK 24.4K

$2,348 €2,047

5.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

3.16

51.90%

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

Last update for Boras: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Boras pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $93.0 in Boras vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $336 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,902 vs $2,476 including rent). Boras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Boras, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $162 in Boras versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,902 in Boras versus $2,476 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.