Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,780 in Kista versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,756 in Kista versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Kista versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Kista costs roughly 25% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kista 34% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 SEK 132

$17.15 €14.96

-20.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 SEK 705

$68.1 €59.3

7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 SEK 101

$13.64 €11.89

-22.87%

Cappuccino

$4.60 SEK 44.34

$2.78 €2.42

65.47%

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

$2.70 SEK 25.99

$2.82 €2.46

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 24.07

$1.96 €1.71

27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 SEK 75.8

$4.43 €3.86

77.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 SEK 69.3

$4.61 €4.01

55.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.59

$1.27 €1.11

27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 SEK 26.46

$2.13 €1.86

28.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 SEK 36.65

$1.99 €1.73

90.95%

Eggs

$4.24 SEK 40.86

$3.37 €2.93

25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 SEK 114

$18.96 €16.53

-37.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 SEK 112

$9.53 €8.31

21.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 SEK 165

$18.73 €16.33

-8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.89

$2.65 €2.31

20.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 SEK 26.09

$2.35 €2.05

15.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.90

$2.09 €1.82

48.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 SEK 42.35

$2.73 €2.38

60.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 15.62

$1.96 €1.71

-17.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.31

$1.81 €1.58

-0.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 SEK 24.89

$1.51 €1.32

70.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SEK 14.59

$0.89 €0.78

69.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.27 SEK 70.1

$6.78 €5.91

7.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 SEK 94.8

$7.92 €6.90

24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 SEK 18.44

$1.37 €1.19

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 SEK 18.30

$2.40 €2.09

-20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 33.01

$2.91 €2.54

17.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 SEK 715

$28.66 €24.98

158.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 SEK 61.6

$4.58 €3.99

39.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.47

$2.04 €1.78

-21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 SEK 608

$28.72 €25.03

119.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.35

$1.82 €1.59

4.40%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

$39.3K €34.3K

-18.15%

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

$34.0K SEK 327.8K

$32.5K €28.3K

4.71%

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

$114 SEK 1,101

$187 €163

-38.82%

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

$28.54 SEK 275

$22.29 €19.43

28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.96 SEK 356

$36.37 €31.71

1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 SEK 389

$57.5 €50.2

-29.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 SEK 245

$20.74 €18.08

22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.61 SEK 150

$10.77 €9.39

44.94%

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

$145 SEK 1,400

$725 €632

-79.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,118 SEK 39.7K

$15.2K €13.2K

-72.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 SEK 907

$87.9 €76.6

7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 SEK 387

$36.81 €32.09

9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 SEK 954

$103 €90.2

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 SEK 1,482

$119 €103

29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 SEK 8,049

$1,524 €1,328

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 SEK 6,222

$1,227 €1,070

-47.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 SEK 13.3K

$2,727 €2,378

-49.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

$1,984 €1,730

-45.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,281 SEK 41.3K

$7,469 €6,511

-42.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 SEK 29.7K

$5,243 €4,571

-41.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

3.39

33.63%

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

Last update for Kista: July 28, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $835 in Kista and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Kista vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $319 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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

Kista vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kista and Barcelona differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,780 vs $2,359 including rent). Kista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,669 in Kista and $3,539 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $835 in Kista versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Kista 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 $1,780 in Kista versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kista but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kista 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, Kista 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 Kista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.