Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlskrona and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlskrona: $1,636 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Karlskrona
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Karlskrona Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Karlskrona

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,636

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karlskrona 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 Karlskrona and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,636 in Karlskrona versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Karlskrona $1,636
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,545 in Karlskrona versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Karlskrona $2,545
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,453 in Karlskrona versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Karlskrona $3,453
Barcelona $4,564

Living in Karlskrona costs roughly 33% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlskrona 20% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 SEK 126

$17.59 €15.76

-27.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 SEK 650

$67.5 €60.5

-1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 SEK 86.5

$13.53 €12.12

-34.89%

Cappuccino

$4.09 SEK 40.19

$3.19 €2.86

28.21%

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

$1.33 SEK 13.08

$2.91 €2.61

-54.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.08

$1.89 €1.70

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 SEK 68.0

$4.01 €3.59

72.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 SEK 49.14

$4.53 €4.06

10.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 SEK 14.31

$1.31 €1.17

11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 SEK 26.23

$2.02 €1.81

32.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 SEK 35.98

$1.85 €1.66

97.84%

Eggs

$4.41 SEK 43.26

$4.83 €4.33

-8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 SEK 108

$16.74 €15.00

-34.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 SEK 128

$9.12 €8.17

43.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 SEK 171

$19.64 €17.60

-11.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 30.12

$2.98 €2.67

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 SEK 22.75

$2.02 €1.81

14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 SEK 29.80

$2.70 €2.42

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 SEK 43.23

$2.80 €2.51

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.68

$2.09 €1.87

-28.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.68

$2.07 €1.85

-28.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 SEK 21.38

$1.46 €1.31

49.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SEK 13.98

$0.94 €0.84

51.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 SEK 68.6

$6.87 €6.16

1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 SEK 126

$7.89 €7.07

62.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.02

$1.41 €1.26

44.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 16.01

$2.54 €2.27

-35.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 SEK 28.86

$3.14 €2.82

-6.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 SEK 695

$25.45 €22.80

178.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 SEK 129

$2.99 €2.68

340.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 SEK 20.27

$1.49 €1.34

38.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.5 SEK 790

$33.37 €29.91

141.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.37

$1.80 €1.61

-1.67%

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

$32.7K SEK 321.2K

$33.2K €29.7K

-1.44%

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

$33.2K SEK 326.4K

$31.7K €28.4K

4.85%

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

$51.1 SEK 502

$180 €162

-71.68%

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

$28.03 SEK 275

$13.84 €12.40

102.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.39 SEK 357

$33.70 €30.20

7.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 SEK 403

$51.5 €46.16

-20.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 SEK 158

$10.99 €9.85

46.77%

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

$160 SEK 1,574

$917 €821

-82.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 958

$87.0 €78.0

12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.06 SEK 197

$38.51 €34.51

-47.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 SEK 782

$106 €94.8

-24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 SEK 1,759

$120 €107

49.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 SEK 6,684

$1,699 €1,523

-59.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 SEK 5,652

$1,355 €1,214

-57.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 SEK 10.8K

$2,603 €2,332

-57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 SEK 9,202

$2,062 €1,848

-54.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,929 SEK 28.8K

$6,915 €6,196

-57.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,526 SEK 24.8K

$5,128 €4,595

-50.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,463 SEK 24.2K

$2,211 €1,981

11.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.28

28.66%

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

Last update for Karlskrona: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Karlskrona

$576 35.2%

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3% 135% $780

Groceries & Markets

Karlskrona

$360 22%

Barcelona

$322 13.1% 10.5% $38

Eating Out

Karlskrona

$237 14.5%

Barcelona

$268 10.9% 13% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Karlskrona

$169 10.4%

Barcelona

$158 6.4% 6.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karlskrona

$116 7.1%

Barcelona

$228 9.3% 97.3% $112

Getting Around

Karlskrona

$106 6.5%

Barcelona

$48 2% 54.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Karlskrona

$73 4.5%

Barcelona

$74 3% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Karlskrona and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66 in Karlskrona vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $322, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Karlskrona

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

Same time as Karlskrona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,212

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karlskrona Barcelona 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Karlskrona
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

Karlskrona vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,636 in Karlskrona and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Karlskrona is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $681 in Karlskrona versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Karlskrona versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 64% less than in Karlskrona. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.