Cost of Living Comparison Between Eskilstuna and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Eskilstuna and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,756 in Eskilstuna versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,714 in Eskilstuna versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,671 in Eskilstuna versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Eskilstuna costs roughly 24% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Eskilstuna 31% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 SEK 125

$17.66 €15.45

-26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 SEK 650

$69.7 €61.0

-3.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 SEK 100

$14.16 €12.39

-26.62%

Cappuccino

$4.52 SEK 43.70

$2.80 €2.45

61.43%

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

$2.69 SEK 26.03

$2.81 €2.46

-4.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SEK 23.12

$2.06 €1.81

16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 SEK 70.4

$4.60 €4.02

58.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 SEK 71.1

$4.69 €4.10

56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 SEK 14.68

$1.23 €1.08

23.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 SEK 29.67

$2.03 €1.78

51.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 SEK 33.35

$1.98 €1.73

74.24%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 39.37

$3.49 €3.05

16.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 SEK 136

$18.33 €16.04

-23.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 SEK 113

$9.83 €8.60

19.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 SEK 130

$19.13 €16.73

-29.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 SEK 32.56

$2.73 €2.38

23.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.17

$2.38 €2.09

9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 24.90

$2.08 €1.82

24.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 SEK 37.03

$2.75 €2.41

39.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.36

$1.96 €1.72

-23.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 SEK 20.82

$1.79 €1.57

20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 SEK 26.60

$1.48 €1.29

85.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SEK 16.40

$0.91 €0.80

86.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.55 SEK 73.0

$7.13 €6.24

5.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 SEK 80.3

$7.88 €6.89

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 22.62

$1.38 €1.21

69.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SEK 18.31

$2.39 €2.09

-20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 31.72

$3.01 €2.63

8.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 SEK 655

$29.35 €25.68

130.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 SEK 65.1

$4.36 €3.82

54.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 SEK 11.47

$2.13 €1.86

-44.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.9 SEK 588

$29.60 €25.90

105.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.55

$1.82 €1.59

5.49%

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

$32.7K SEK 315.9K

$37.9K €33.1K

-13.74%

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

$34.2K SEK 330.8K

$32.4K €28.3K

5.67%

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

$90.7 SEK 877

$189 €165

-52.02%

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

$27.99 SEK 271

$22.29 €19.50

25.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 SEK 359

$37.16 €32.51

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 SEK 252

$58.0 €50.8

-55.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.74 SEK 249

$20.66 €18.08

24.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 SEK 112

$10.87 €9.51

6.53%

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

$127 SEK 1,228

$706 €618

-82.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$733 SEK 7,087

$14.9K €13.0K

-95.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,027

$89.4 €78.3

18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.37 SEK 303

$36.60 €32.02

-14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 SEK 931

$104 €91.0

-7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 SEK 1,524

$119 €104

32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 SEK 7,197

$1,579 €1,381

-52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 SEK 6,104

$1,238 €1,083

-49.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 SEK 11.6K

$2,712 €2,373

-55.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 SEK 10.1K

$2,039 €1,784

-48.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,038 SEK 39.0K

$7,527 €6,585

-46.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,850 SEK 27.5K

$5,239 €4,584

-45.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,312 SEK 41.7K

$2,364 €2,068

82.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

3.39

33.63%

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

Last update for Eskilstuna: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $745 in Eskilstuna and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eskilstuna pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Eskilstuna vs $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $320, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Eskilstuna vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eskilstuna and Barcelona differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,756 vs $2,320 including rent). Eskilstuna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Eskilstuna, 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: $745 in Eskilstuna versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $127 in Eskilstuna versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,756 in Eskilstuna versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Eskilstuna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Eskilstuna 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, Eskilstuna 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 Eskilstuna 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.