Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Kista: $1,724 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Kista, Sweden
Barcelona, Spain
Kista
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,724
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kista and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kista and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,724 in Kista versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Kista $1,724
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,694 in Kista versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Kista $2,694
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,664 in Kista versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Kista $3,664
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Kista costs roughly 30% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kista 27% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.46 SEK 134
$17.59 €15.80
-23.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.2 SEK 746
$67.5 €60.6
11.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.13 SEK 101
$13.53 €12.15
-25.13%
Cappuccino
$4.56 SEK 45.29
$3.19 €2.87
42.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 SEK 26.57
$2.91 €2.62
-7.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 SEK 21.73
$1.89 €1.70
15.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.96 SEK 69.2
$4.01 €3.60
73.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.00 SEK 69.5
$4.53 €4.07
54.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 SEK 16.29
$1.31 €1.17
25.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.75 SEK 27.30
$2.02 €1.81
36.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 34.14
$1.85 €1.66
85.95%
Eggs
$4.01 SEK 39.83
$4.83 €4.34
-16.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.21 SEK 121
$16.74 €15.03
-27.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.11 SEK 120
$9.12 €8.19
32.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.14 SEK 170
$19.64 €17.64
-12.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 SEK 30.06
$2.98 €2.68
1.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.52 SEK 25.01
$2.02 €1.81
24.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 SEK 28.81
$2.70 €2.43
7.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 SEK 43.34
$2.80 €2.52
55.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 SEK 16.03
$2.09 €1.87
-22.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 SEK 16.12
$2.07 €1.86
-21.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 SEK 22.67
$1.46 €1.31
56.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 SEK 14.42
$0.94 €0.84
54.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.27 SEK 72.3
$6.87 €6.17
5.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.93 SEK 98.6
$7.89 €7.08
25.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 SEK 19.31
$1.41 €1.26
37.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 SEK 22.81
$2.54 €2.28
-9.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.25 SEK 32.30
$3.14 €2.82
3.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.1 SEK 775
$25.45 €22.86
206.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.10 SEK 60.6
$2.99 €2.69
104.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 SEK 16.75
$1.49 €1.34
13.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.9 SEK 585
$33.37 €29.98
76.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.78
$1.80 €1.61
-0.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K SEK 324.9K
$33.2K €29.8K
-1.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K SEK 335.9K
$31.7K €28.5K
6.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 SEK 1,031
$180 €162
-42.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.86 SEK 257
$13.84 €12.43
86.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.31 SEK 390
$33.70 €30.27
16.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.24 SEK 370
$51.5 €46.27
-27.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.02 SEK 258
$15.96 €14.34
63.03%
Cinema Ticket
$16.08 SEK 160
$10.99 €9.88
46.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 SEK 1,583
$917 €823
-82.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,088 SEK 50.5K
$16.5K €14.8K
-69.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.4 SEK 977
$87.0 €78.2
13.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.15 SEK 399
$38.51 €34.59
4.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.7 SEK 910
$106 €95.1
-13.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 SEK 1,393
$120 €108
17.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$795 SEK 7,893
$1,699 €1,527
-53.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 SEK 5,937
$1,355 €1,217
-55.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,370 SEK 13.6K
$2,603 €2,338
-47.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 SEK 9,945
$2,062 €1,853
-51.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,976 SEK 39.5K
$6,915 €6,211
-42.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,847 SEK 28.3K
$5,128 €4,606
-44.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kista
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,211 €1,986
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.37
3.28
2.74%

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

Last update for Kista: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kista
$598
Barcelona
$1.4K 127% $757
Groceries & Markets
Kista
$355
Barcelona
$322 9.3% $33
Eating Out
Kista
$261
Barcelona
$268 2.6% $6.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kista
$169
Barcelona
$228 34.9% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Kista
$167
Barcelona
$158 5.2% $8.7
Getting Around
Kista
$106
Barcelona
$48 54.1% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Kista
$69
Barcelona
$74 5.9% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $795 in Kista and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Kista vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $322 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Kista
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
21:35 9:35 PM
21:35 9:35 PM
Same time as Kista
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,254
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kista Barcelona 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kista
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Kista and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,724 in Kista and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Kista is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Kista compared to Barcelona?
You’d need roughly $2,587 in Kista and $3,679 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Kista and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $795 in Kista versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kista and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $159 in Kista versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,724 in Kista versus $2,453 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.
How does quality of life compare between Kista and Barcelona?
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.
Is Kista or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Kista and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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