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: $1,639 in Karlskrona versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,583 in Karlskrona versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,528 in Karlskrona versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Karlskrona costs roughly 34% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlskrona 20% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.36 SEK 132

$18.74 €16.33

-28.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 SEK 663

$69.5 €60.6

-3.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 SEK 93.2

$13.77 €12.00

-31.30%

Cappuccino

$4.09 SEK 40.27

$3.10 €2.70

31.94%

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

$1.35 SEK 13.29

$2.83 €2.47

-52.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SEK 22.49

$1.88 €1.64

21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 SEK 72.2

$3.98 €3.47

83.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 SEK 50.7

$4.53 €3.95

13.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 SEK 14.55

$1.27 €1.11

16.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 SEK 26.75

$2.16 €1.88

25.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 36.84

$1.76 €1.53

112.50%

Eggs

$4.61 SEK 45.44

$5.13 €4.47

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 SEK 107

$17.88 €15.59

-39.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 SEK 131

$9.65 €8.41

37.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 SEK 171

$20.15 €17.56

-14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 30.99

$3.25 €2.84

-3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 SEK 23.33

$2.23 €1.94

6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 SEK 29.10

$2.60 €2.27

13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 SEK 44.87

$2.76 €2.40

64.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.89

$2.21 €1.93

-31.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.91

$2.12 €1.85

-28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 SEK 21.19

$1.55 €1.35

38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SEK 14.51

$0.95 €0.83

54.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 SEK 70.5

$7.34 €6.40

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 SEK 126

$8.05 €7.01

58.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 19.43

$1.54 €1.35

27.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 17.30

$2.79 €2.43

-36.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 SEK 29.91

$3.11 €2.71

-2.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 SEK 725

$25.86 €22.54

184.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.58 SEK 134

$3.27 €2.85

315.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 SEK 19.76

$1.48 €1.29

35.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.2 SEK 810

$34.27 €29.88

139.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 16.84

$1.73 €1.51

-1.16%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.0K

$36.4K €31.7K

-8.75%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.3K

$30.5K €26.6K

9.40%

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

$52.6 SEK 518

$187 €163

-71.88%

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

$28.34 SEK 279

$15.14 €13.20

87.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.87 SEK 373

$37.69 €32.85

0.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.28 SEK 417

$55.9 €48.76

-24.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.72 SEK 244

$17.08 €14.89

44.73%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 SEK 164

$11.41 €9.95

45.66%

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

$164 SEK 1,618

$997 €869

-83.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 SEK 975

$92.6 €80.8

6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.68 SEK 204

$41.22 €35.93

-49.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 SEK 806

$111 €96.9

-26.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 SEK 1,756

$125 €109

42.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 SEK 6,762

$1,707 €1,488

-59.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 SEK 5,879

$1,286 €1,121

-53.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 SEK 11.2K

$2,565 €2,236

-55.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 SEK 9,494

$1,942 €1,693

-50.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,944 SEK 29.0K

$7,647 €6,666

-61.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,555 SEK 25.2K

$5,167 €4,504

-50.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,546 SEK 25.1K

$2,348 €2,047

8.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.16

33.54%

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

Last update for Karlskrona: September 15, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $686 in Karlskrona and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona pays 8% 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 Karlskrona vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $336, 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 51% in total monthly costs ($1,639 vs $2,476 including rent). Karlskrona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $686 in Karlskrona versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Karlskrona versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,639 in Karlskrona versus $2,476 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 51% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.