Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eskilstuna and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Eskilstuna: $1,748 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Eskilstuna
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,748
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eskilstuna and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Eskilstuna and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,748 in Eskilstuna versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

  • Eskilstuna $1,748
  • Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,674 in Eskilstuna versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

  • Eskilstuna $2,674
  • Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,600 in Eskilstuna versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

  • Eskilstuna $3,600
  • Barcelona $4,421

Living in Eskilstuna costs roughly 27% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Eskilstuna 30% above, Barcelona 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.55 SEK 134
$17.94 €15.96
-24.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.9 SEK 633
$68.1 €60.5
-6.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.22 SEK 101
$13.28 €11.81
-23.04%
Cappuccino
$4.29 SEK 42.52
$3.25 €2.89
32.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 SEK 25.55
$3.01 €2.67
-14.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 SEK 21.94
$1.87 €1.66
18.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 SEK 48.55
$3.85 €3.42
27.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.00 SEK 49.54
$4.48 €3.98
11.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 SEK 14.20
$1.29 €1.15
10.85%
White Bread (500g)
$3.15 SEK 31.18
$2.04 €1.81
54.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.41 SEK 33.81
$1.72 €1.53
98.26%
Eggs
$3.93 SEK 38.94
$4.77 €4.24
-17.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.32 SEK 132
$16.77 €14.92
-20.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.27 SEK 122
$8.93 €7.94
37.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.74 SEK 126
$19.88 €17.68
-35.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 SEK 32.01
$2.98 €2.65
8.39%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 SEK 26.55
$2.03 €1.80
32.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 SEK 25.11
$2.73 €2.43
-7.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.72 SEK 36.88
$2.68 €2.38
38.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 SEK 13.96
$2.10 €1.87
-32.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 SEK 17.72
$2.08 €1.85
-13.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.05 SEK 30.24
$1.45 €1.29
110.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 SEK 17.07
$0.89 €0.79
93.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.88 SEK 68.2
$6.94 €6.17
-0.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.80 SEK 77.2
$7.78 €6.92
0.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 SEK 19.42
$1.45 €1.29
35.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 SEK 21.82
$2.57 €2.29
-14.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.23 SEK 32.02
$2.99 €2.66
8.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.9 SEK 663
$25.20 €22.41
165.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.72 SEK 126
$3.12 €2.77
307.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 SEK 20.27
$1.44 €1.28
42.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$78.2 SEK 775
$33.50 €29.80
133.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.73 SEK 17.16
$1.79 €1.59
-3.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.4K SEK 311.5K
$34.6K €30.8K
-9.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K SEK 321.7K
$30.1K €26.7K
7.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$177 SEK 1,751
$178 €158
-0.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.43 SEK 282
$13.32 €11.85
113.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.00 SEK 377
$34.88 €31.03
8.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.49 SEK 243
$53.3 €47.37
-54.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.82 SEK 256
$16.01 €14.24
61.27%
Cinema Ticket
$10.84 SEK 107
$11.06 €9.84
-1.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$148 SEK 1,468
$957 €851
-84.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,008 SEK 49.6K
$16.6K €14.7K
-69.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.2 SEK 973
$88.2 €78.4
11.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.44 SEK 292
$39.49 €35.12
-25.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 SEK 889
$103 €91.5
-12.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 SEK 1,465
$121 €108
21.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$791 SEK 7,840
$1,653 €1,470
-52.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$602 SEK 5,961
$1,302 €1,158
-53.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,150 SEK 11.4K
$2,557 €2,275
-55.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,029 SEK 10.2K
$1,915 €1,703
-46.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,052 SEK 40.2K
$7,286 €6,481
-44.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,775 SEK 27.5K
$5,080 €4,519
-45.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eskilstuna
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,169 SEK 41.3K
$2,281 €2,029
82.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.8
3.28
-14.63%

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

Last update for Eskilstuna: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Eskilstuna
$602
Barcelona
$1.3K 116% $700
Groceries & Markets
Eskilstuna
$346
Barcelona
$320 7.5% $26
Eating Out
Eskilstuna
$244
Barcelona
$270 10.6% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eskilstuna
$243
Barcelona
$226 7% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Eskilstuna
$164
Barcelona
$158 3.6% $5.9
Getting Around
Eskilstuna
$103
Barcelona
$47 53.8% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Eskilstuna
$46
Barcelona
$75 63.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Eskilstuna and $1,653 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: $64.0 in Eskilstuna vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $320, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Eskilstuna
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
23:26 11:26 PM
23:26 11:26 PM
Same time as Eskilstuna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,359
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Eskilstuna Barcelona 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Eskilstuna
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Eskilstuna and in Barcelona?
Eskilstuna and Barcelona differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,748 vs $2,399 including rent). Eskilstuna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Eskilstuna or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 83% higher in Eskilstuna, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Eskilstuna and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $791 in Eskilstuna versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Eskilstuna and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $148 in Eskilstuna versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,748 in Eskilstuna versus $2,399 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.
How does quality of life compare between Eskilstuna and Barcelona?
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.
Is Eskilstuna or Barcelona safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Eskilstuna or Barcelona?
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.

Eskilstuna vs other spots: cost of living compared

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