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: $1,797 in Kista versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,818 in Kista versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,838 in Kista versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Kista costs roughly 23% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kista 34% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.28 SEK 125

$17.08 €14.72

-22.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 SEK 689

$69.2 €59.7

6.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 SEK 97.7

$13.78 €11.87

-24.46%

Cappuccino

$4.74 SEK 44.50

$2.76 €2.37

71.74%

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

$2.78 SEK 26.06

$2.79 €2.40

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 22.58

$1.99 €1.72

21.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 SEK 74.2

$4.36 €3.76

81.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 SEK 71.1

$4.74 €4.09

59.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.21

$1.29 €1.11

25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 SEK 26.51

$2.05 €1.77

38.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 SEK 36.42

$1.99 €1.71

94.97%

Eggs

$4.26 SEK 39.96

$3.39 €2.92

25.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 SEK 114

$18.81 €16.21

-35.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 112

$9.36 €8.07

27.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.94 SEK 159

$19.12 €16.48

-11.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 SEK 29.61

$2.70 €2.32

17.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 24.25

$2.34 €2.02

10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.05

$2.12 €1.83

46.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 SEK 40.52

$2.85 €2.46

51.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.42

$1.97 €1.70

-16.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 16.62

$1.80 €1.55

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 SEK 24.50

$1.45 €1.25

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SEK 14.32

$0.86 €0.74

77.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 68.5

$6.78 €5.84

7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 SEK 87.5

$7.90 €6.81

18.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.51

$1.39 €1.20

41.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 18.41

$2.37 €2.04

-17.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 SEK 32.62

$2.92 €2.52

19.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 SEK 681

$28.69 €24.72

152.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 SEK 58.6

$4.46 €3.84

39.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.36

$2.05 €1.77

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.4 SEK 585

$29.55 €25.46

111.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.46

$1.82 €1.56

8.24%

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

$32.0K SEK 299.8K

$38.8K €33.5K

-17.70%

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

$33.8K SEK 317.2K

$33.1K €28.5K

2.16%

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

$115 SEK 1,081

$189 €163

-39.10%

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

$28.56 SEK 268

$22.80 €19.65

25.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.92 SEK 346

$37.59 €32.39

-1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 SEK 381

$57.7 €49.75

-29.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.55 SEK 240

$20.74 €17.87

23.19%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 SEK 150

$10.82 €9.33

48.15%

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

$149 SEK 1,401

$728 €628

-79.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,113 SEK 38.6K

$14.8K €12.7K

-72.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 SEK 884

$88.6 €76.4

6.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.09 SEK 376

$36.85 €31.75

8.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 SEK 899

$102 €87.9

-6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 SEK 1,440

$116 €100

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SEK 7,807

$1,569 €1,352

-46.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 SEK 6,044

$1,218 €1,050

-47.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 SEK 13.1K

$2,795 €2,409

-50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 SEK 10.0K

$1,975 €1,702

-45.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,549 SEK 42.7K

$7,754 €6,680

-41.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,994 SEK 28.1K

$5,176 €4,460

-42.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $832 in Kista and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Kista vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,797 vs $2,337 including rent). Kista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,696 in Kista and $3,505 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: $832 in Kista versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in Kista 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 $1,797 in Kista versus $2,337 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.