Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludvika and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludvika and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,578 in Ludvika versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,644 in Ludvika versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,710 in Ludvika versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Ludvika costs roughly 32% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ludvika 18% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 SEK 127

$17.66 €15.45

-25.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 SEK 675

$69.7 €61.0

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 SEK 103

$14.16 €12.39

-24.72%

Cappuccino

$4.60 SEK 44.47

$2.80 €2.45

64.29%

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

$2.72 SEK 26.25

$2.81 €2.46

-3.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 24.09

$2.06 €1.81

20.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 SEK 69.8

$4.60 €4.02

56.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 72.9

$4.69 €4.10

60.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 18.02

$1.23 €1.08

51.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 SEK 27.19

$2.03 €1.78

38.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 SEK 39.03

$1.98 €1.73

104.04%

Eggs

$3.87 SEK 37.37

$3.49 €3.05

10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 SEK 134

$18.33 €16.04

-24.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 SEK 144

$9.83 €8.60

51.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 SEK 153

$19.13 €16.73

-17.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 33.95

$2.73 €2.38

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 25.06

$2.38 €2.09

8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 SEK 36.37

$2.08 €1.82

80.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 SEK 41.96

$2.75 €2.41

57.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 14.52

$1.96 €1.72

-23.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 SEK 21.00

$1.79 €1.57

21.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 SEK 25.77

$1.48 €1.29

80.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SEK 15.25

$0.91 €0.80

73.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 SEK 72.1

$7.13 €6.24

4.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 SEK 99.0

$7.88 €6.89

29.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SEK 16.49

$1.38 €1.21

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 SEK 18.52

$2.39 €2.09

-19.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 SEK 30.02

$3.01 €2.63

3.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 SEK 530

$29.35 €25.68

86.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.39 SEK 139

$4.36 €3.82

230.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.89

$2.13 €1.86

-23.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.84 SEK 201

$29.60 €25.90

-29.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.42

$1.82 €1.59

-1.10%

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

$32.8K SEK 317.4K

$37.9K €33.1K

-13.34%

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

$34.2K SEK 330.4K

$32.4K €28.3K

5.55%

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

$88.9 SEK 860

$189 €165

-52.96%

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

$21.40 SEK 207

$22.29 €19.50

-3.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.39 SEK 352

$37.16 €32.51

-2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.17 SEK 311

$58.0 €50.8

-44.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.6 SEK 519

$20.66 €18.08

159.63%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 SEK 155

$10.87 €9.51

47.19%

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

$143 SEK 1,384

$706 €618

-79.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$748 SEK 7,226

$14.9K €13.0K

-94.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,027

$89.4 €78.3

18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.50 SEK 421

$36.60 €32.02

18.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 SEK 1,112

$104 €91.0

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,495

$119 €104

29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 SEK 4,498

$1,579 €1,381

-70.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 SEK 4,322

$1,238 €1,083

-63.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 SEK 9,785

$2,712 €2,373

-62.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 SEK 9,563

$2,039 €1,784

-51.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,924 SEK 37.9K

$2,364 €2,068

65.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

17.99%

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

Last update for Ludvika: July 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $465 in Ludvika and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ludvika pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Ludvika vs $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $320, 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

Ludvika vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ludvika and Barcelona differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,578 vs $2,320 including rent). Ludvika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Ludvika, 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: $465 in Ludvika versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Ludvika versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,578 in Ludvika versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ludvika but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ludvika 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, Ludvika 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 Ludvika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.