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: $1,722 in Eskilstuna versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,669 in Eskilstuna versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,615 in Eskilstuna versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Eskilstuna costs roughly 27% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Eskilstuna 29% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.22 SEK 124

$17.58 €15.14

-24.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 SEK 656

$68.4 €58.9

2.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 SEK 98.6

$14.06 €12.10

-25.39%

Cappuccino

$4.67 SEK 43.84

$2.78 €2.39

67.99%

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

$2.71 SEK 25.42

$2.80 €2.41

-3.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 22.82

$2.06 €1.78

17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.50 SEK 70.5

$4.46 €3.84

68.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 SEK 70.8

$4.61 €3.97

63.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 SEK 14.05

$1.24 €1.07

20.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 SEK 30.05

$2.03 €1.75

57.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 33.64

$1.92 €1.65

86.46%

Eggs

$3.85 SEK 36.14

$3.31 €2.85

16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.28 SEK 134

$18.43 €15.87

-22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.85 SEK 111

$9.49 €8.17

24.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 SEK 126

$19.16 €16.50

-30.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 SEK 32.26

$2.64 €2.27

29.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 SEK 25.46

$2.45 €2.11

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 24.35

$2.12 €1.83

22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 SEK 36.79

$2.85 €2.45

37.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 13.97

$2.04 €1.75

-26.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 SEK 20.03

$1.85 €1.59

15.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 SEK 24.86

$1.47 €1.27

80.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 16.37

$0.84 €0.73

107.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SEK 70.8

$7.14 €6.15

5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 SEK 82.3

$7.88 €6.79

11.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 22.86

$1.38 €1.19

76.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 18.64

$2.31 €1.99

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 30.29

$2.98 €2.57

8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 SEK 658

$29.26 €25.20

139.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 SEK 60.9

$4.60 €3.96

40.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 SEK 11.25

$2.07 €1.78

-42.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 592

$29.18 €25.13

115.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.67

$1.84 €1.58

8.15%

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

$32.5K SEK 305.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-16.66%

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

$34.4K SEK 322.9K

$32.7K €28.2K

5.14%

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

$91.0 SEK 854

$188 €162

-51.57%

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

$27.96 SEK 263

$22.93 €19.75

21.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.08 SEK 339

$36.71 €31.61

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.97 SEK 244

$57.4 €49.41

-54.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 SEK 238

$20.70 €17.82

22.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 SEK 107

$11.19 €9.64

2.23%

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

$125 SEK 1,173

$721 €621

-82.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$735 SEK 6,903

$15.0K €13.0K

-95.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 968

$86.2 €74.2

19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.39 SEK 295

$37.07 €31.92

-15.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 SEK 879

$102 €87.9

-8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,469

$116 €99.8

34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 SEK 6,908

$1,534 €1,321

-52.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 SEK 5,931

$1,220 €1,051

-48.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 SEK 11.4K

$2,696 €2,321

-54.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 SEK 9,917

$2,013 €1,734

-47.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 SEK 29.8K

$7,220 €6,217

-56.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,704 SEK 25.4K

$5,189 €4,468

-47.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,312 SEK 40.5K

$2,359 €2,032

82.76%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Eskilstuna and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eskilstuna pays 83% 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 Eskilstuna vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 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

Eskilstuna vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eskilstuna and Barcelona differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,722 vs $2,367 including rent). Eskilstuna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Eskilstuna pays 83% 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: $735 in Eskilstuna versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $125 in Eskilstuna 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,722 in Eskilstuna versus $2,367 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 37% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.