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: $1,737 in Karlskrona versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,628 in Karlskrona versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,519 in Karlskrona versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Karlskrona costs roughly 26% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlskrona 29% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 SEK 125

$17.08 €14.72

-22.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 SEK 639

$69.2 €59.7

-1.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 SEK 87.8

$13.78 €11.87

-32.08%

Cappuccino

$3.91 SEK 36.65

$2.76 €2.37

41.67%

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

$1.45 SEK 13.63

$2.79 €2.40

-48.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 SEK 22.67

$1.99 €1.72

21.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 69.7

$4.36 €3.76

70.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 SEK 49.90

$4.74 €4.09

12.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 SEK 14.88

$1.29 €1.11

23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 SEK 27.41

$2.05 €1.77

42.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 SEK 35.80

$1.99 €1.71

91.96%

Eggs

$3.89 SEK 36.49

$3.39 €2.92

14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 SEK 106

$18.81 €16.21

-39.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 112

$9.36 €8.07

27.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.01 SEK 150

$19.12 €16.48

-16.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.24

$2.70 €2.32

15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 SEK 23.28

$2.34 €2.02

5.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 28.72

$2.12 €1.83

44.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 SEK 41.71

$2.85 €2.46

56.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 SEK 14.70

$1.97 €1.70

-20.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 15.16

$1.80 €1.55

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 SEK 21.03

$1.45 €1.25

54.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.68

$0.86 €0.74

69.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 SEK 68.0

$6.78 €5.84

6.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 SEK 126

$7.90 €6.81

70.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.27

$1.39 €1.20

47.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.89

$2.37 €2.04

-24.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 SEK 26.90

$2.92 €2.52

-1.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 SEK 598

$28.69 €24.72

122.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.54 SEK 136

$4.46 €3.84

226.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 SEK 15.44

$2.05 €1.77

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.00 SEK 197

$29.55 €25.46

-28.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 SEK 17.34

$1.82 €1.56

1.65%

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

$32.1K SEK 301.2K

$38.8K €33.5K

-17.31%

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

$34.7K SEK 325.3K

$33.1K €28.5K

4.76%

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

$54.2 SEK 508

$189 €163

-71.37%

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

$28.43 SEK 267

$22.80 €19.65

24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.28 SEK 340

$37.59 €32.39

-3.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 SEK 406

$57.7 €49.75

-24.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 SEK 226

$20.74 €17.87

16.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 SEK 161

$10.82 €9.33

58.50%

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

$146 SEK 1,367

$728 €628

-79.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$745 SEK 6,988

$14.8K €12.7K

-94.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 SEK 1,000

$88.6 €76.4

20.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.85 SEK 196

$36.85 €31.75

-43.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 SEK 791

$102 €87.9

-17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 SEK 1,481

$116 €100

36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 SEK 6,555

$1,569 €1,352

-55.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 SEK 6,608

$1,218 €1,050

-42.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 SEK 10.9K

$2,795 €2,409

-58.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 SEK 9,287

$1,975 €1,702

-49.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,023 SEK 28.4K

$7,754 €6,680

-61.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,671 SEK 25.1K

$5,176 €4,460

-48.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,664 SEK 25.0K

$2,343 €2,019

13.69%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Karlskrona and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlskrona pays 14% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,737 vs $2,337 including rent). Karlskrona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Karlskrona pays 14% 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: $699 in Karlskrona versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Karlskrona versus $728 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 $1,737 in Karlskrona versus $2,337 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 35% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.