Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,060 in Lulea versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,256 in Lulea versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 20% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 40% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.56 SEK 121

$17.66 €15.43

-28.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 SEK 911

$69.7 €60.9

35.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 SEK 112

$14.16 €12.37

-18.08%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.91

$2.80 €2.45

73.93%

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

$2.55 SEK 24.56

$2.81 €2.46

-9.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 19.01

$2.06 €1.80

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 SEK 82.6

$4.60 €4.02

86.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 SEK 96.0

$4.69 €4.10

112.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.64

$1.23 €1.07

56.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 SEK 32.98

$2.03 €1.78

68.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 SEK 48.86

$1.98 €1.73

156.06%

Eggs

$4.74 SEK 45.70

$3.49 €3.05

35.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 SEK 123

$18.33 €16.01

-30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 SEK 135

$9.83 €8.59

42.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.00 SEK 270

$19.13 €16.71

46.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 25.15

$2.73 €2.38

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 SEK 26.58

$2.38 €2.08

15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.03

$2.08 €1.82

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 42.04

$2.75 €2.41

58.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 SEK 21.48

$1.96 €1.71

13.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$1.79 €1.57

-7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.48 SEK 33.52

$1.48 €1.29

135.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SEK 13.84

$0.91 €0.80

58.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.42 SEK 71.5

$7.13 €6.23

4.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 SEK 119

$7.88 €6.88

56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.15

$1.38 €1.20

36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.87

$2.39 €2.09

-22.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.35

$3.01 €2.63

11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.3 SEK 562

$29.35 €25.65

98.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 SEK 91.9

$4.36 €3.81

118.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.68

$2.13 €1.86

-18.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 SEK 718

$29.60 €25.86

151.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 18.22

$1.82 €1.59

3.85%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

$37.9K €33.1K

-15.05%

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

$35.7K SEK 343.7K

$32.4K €28.3K

10.15%

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

$176 SEK 1,692

$189 €165

-7.12%

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

$31.87 SEK 307

$22.29 €19.48

42.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 SEK 275

$37.16 €32.47

-23.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 SEK 468

$58.0 €50.7

-16.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.54 SEK 352

$20.66 €18.05

76.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 SEK 132

$10.87 €9.50

26.31%

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

$163 SEK 1,566

$706 €617

-76.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,827 SEK 56.2K

$14.9K €13.0K

-60.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 SEK 1,190

$89.4 €78.2

38.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 SEK 324

$36.60 €31.98

-8.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 SEK 1,252

$104 €90.9

24.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 SEK 1,643

$119 €104

42.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,765

$1,579 €1,379

-48.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 SEK 5,675

$1,238 €1,082

-52.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

$2,712 €2,370

-46.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

$2,039 €1,782

-47.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,107 SEK 29.9K

$7,527 €6,576

-58.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 SEK 22.4K

$5,239 €4,577

-55.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,654 SEK 25.6K

$2,364 €2,065

12.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

3.39

23.89%

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

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Lulea vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 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

Lulea vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea and Barcelona differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,865 vs $2,320 including rent). Lulea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Lulea, 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: $806 in Lulea versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Lulea 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 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea 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, Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.