Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlskrona and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlskrona and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,731 in Karlskrona versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,646 in Karlskrona versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Karlskrona versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlskrona 30% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.22 SEK 126

$17.15 €14.86

-22.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 SEK 643

$68.1 €58.9

-0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 SEK 90.8

$13.64 €11.82

-29.91%

Cappuccino

$3.96 SEK 37.59

$2.78 €2.41

42.45%

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

$1.39 SEK 13.17

$2.82 €2.44

-50.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.76

$1.96 €1.70

27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 SEK 68.4

$4.43 €3.84

62.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 SEK 49.61

$4.61 €3.99

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 15.18

$1.27 €1.10

25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 SEK 27.54

$2.13 €1.85

36.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 SEK 37.83

$1.99 €1.72

100.00%

Eggs

$4.08 SEK 38.74

$3.37 €2.92

21.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 SEK 106

$18.96 €16.42

-40.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 SEK 110

$9.53 €8.26

21.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.01 SEK 152

$18.73 €16.22

-14.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 29.28

$2.65 €2.29

16.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 SEK 24.28

$2.35 €2.04

8.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 29.39

$2.09 €1.81

47.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 44.66

$2.73 €2.37

72.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 14.24

$1.96 €1.70

-23.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 14.60

$1.81 €1.56

-14.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 SEK 21.29

$1.51 €1.31

48.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.84

$0.89 €0.77

64.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.59 SEK 72.1

$6.78 €5.87

11.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 SEK 124

$7.92 €6.86

65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 19.38

$1.37 €1.19

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 16.40

$2.40 €2.08

-27.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 SEK 27.22

$2.91 €2.52

-1.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 SEK 615

$28.66 €24.82

125.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.71 SEK 140

$4.58 €3.96

221.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 15.01

$2.04 €1.77

-22.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.76 SEK 197

$28.72 €24.87

-27.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.26

$1.82 €1.58

5.49%

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

$32.4K SEK 307.5K

$39.3K €34.0K

-17.68%

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

$34.0K SEK 322.9K

$32.5K €28.1K

4.67%

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

$53.7 SEK 511

$187 €162

-71.21%

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

$28.91 SEK 275

$22.29 €19.30

29.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.92 SEK 341

$36.37 €31.50

-1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.93 SEK 417

$57.5 €49.82

-23.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 SEK 228

$20.74 €17.96

15.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 SEK 158

$10.77 €9.33

54.32%

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

$144 SEK 1,368

$725 €628

-80.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$753 SEK 7,150

$15.2K €13.1K

-95.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 SEK 988

$87.9 €76.1

18.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.81 SEK 198

$36.81 €31.88

-43.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 SEK 787

$103 €89.6

-19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,469

$119 €103

30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 SEK 6,596

$1,524 €1,319

-54.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 SEK 6,626

$1,227 €1,062

-43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 SEK 11.2K

$2,727 €2,362

-56.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 SEK 9,616

$1,984 €1,718

-48.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,978 SEK 28.3K

$7,469 €6,468

-60.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,617 SEK 24.9K

$5,243 €4,541

-50.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,547 SEK 24.2K

$2,393 €2,072

6.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.7

3.39

38.64%

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

Last update for Karlskrona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Karlskrona and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona 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: $68.0 in Karlskrona vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $319, 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

Karlskrona vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlskrona and Barcelona differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,731 vs $2,359 including rent). Karlskrona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Karlskrona, 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: $694 in Karlskrona versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Karlskrona versus $725 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 $1,731 in Karlskrona versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlskrona but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Karlskrona 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, Karlskrona 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 Karlskrona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.