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: $1,793 in Kista versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Kista versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,837 in Kista versus $4,582 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 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.70 SEK 127

$17.61 €15.04

-22.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 SEK 686

$68.7 €58.7

7.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 SEK 98.2

$13.75 €11.74

-22.98%

Cappuccino

$4.62 SEK 42.87

$2.76 €2.36

67.39%

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

$2.74 SEK 25.39

$2.78 €2.38

-1.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 22.90

$2.05 €1.75

20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 SEK 73.3

$4.61 €3.93

71.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 SEK 67.8

$4.59 €3.92

59.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.55

$1.28 €1.09

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 SEK 25.43

$2.11 €1.80

29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 SEK 34.90

$1.97 €1.68

90.86%

Eggs

$4.25 SEK 39.39

$3.44 €2.94

23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 SEK 111

$18.83 €16.08

-36.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 SEK 111

$9.45 €8.07

26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 SEK 156

$19.01 €16.24

-11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.40

$2.72 €2.32

16.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 23.81

$2.37 €2.03

8.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 27.85

$2.08 €1.77

44.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 SEK 41.45

$2.76 €2.36

61.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.18

$1.97 €1.68

-16.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 16.65

$1.79 €1.53

0.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 SEK 24.20

$1.51 €1.29

72.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 14.43

$0.90 €0.77

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 67.7

$6.76 €5.77

7.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 SEK 109

$7.55 €6.44

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 SEK 17.66

$1.44 €1.23

31.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.30

$2.41 €2.06

-18.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 32.07

$3.03 €2.59

14.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 SEK 676

$28.39 €24.25

156.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 58.6

$4.43 €3.78

42.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 14.80

$2.05 €1.75

-21.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 SEK 581

$29.33 €25.05

113.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.40

$1.89 €1.61

5.29%

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

$32.0K SEK 296.7K

$38.7K €33.1K

-17.39%

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

$34.9K SEK 323.1K

$32.4K €27.6K

7.71%

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

$113 SEK 1,044

$189 €161

-40.27%

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

$28.32 SEK 263

$22.21 €18.96

27.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 SEK 337

$36.82 €31.44

-1.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.09 SEK 372

$58.0 €49.52

-30.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 SEK 237

$20.99 €17.93

21.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.59 SEK 145

$11.05 €9.44

41.09%

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

$144 SEK 1,337

$726 €620

-80.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,172 SEK 38.7K

$15.2K €13.0K

-72.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 SEK 887

$88.3 €75.4

8.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.45 SEK 384

$36.98 €31.58

12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 SEK 909

$103 €87.6

-4.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,420

$119 €102

28.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 SEK 7,793

$1,526 €1,304

-44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 SEK 6,146

$1,218 €1,040

-45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 SEK 13.0K

$2,794 €2,386

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 SEK 9,892

$2,027 €1,731

-47.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 SEK 41.2K

$7,094 €6,058

-37.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,664 SEK 24.7K

$4,849 €4,141

-45.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Kista and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Kista vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $320 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,793 vs $2,341 including rent). Kista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,689 in Kista and $3,512 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: $841 in Kista versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Kista versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,793 in Kista versus $2,341 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.