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: $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,101 in Lulea versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,283 in Lulea versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 23% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 40% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.44 SEK 120

$18.39 €15.87

-32.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 SEK 954

$69.2 €59.7

43.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 SEK 112

$14.13 €12.19

-17.98%

Cappuccino

$4.58 SEK 44.07

$3.13 €2.70

46.33%

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

$2.64 SEK 25.39

$3.02 €2.60

-12.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.94

$1.96 €1.69

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.32 SEK 89.8

$4.00 €3.45

133.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 SEK 94.4

$4.76 €4.11

105.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 18.01

$1.25 €1.08

49.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 SEK 33.03

$2.16 €1.87

58.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 SEK 47.27

$1.69 €1.45

190.53%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 44.95

$4.93 €4.26

-5.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 122

$17.88 €15.43

-29.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 SEK 131

$9.61 €8.29

41.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.73 SEK 267

$19.34 €16.69

43.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 25.59

$3.24 €2.79

-17.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.20

$2.18 €1.88

29.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.06

$2.67 €2.30

-6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 41.88

$2.77 €2.39

57.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 SEK 21.40

$2.21 €1.91

0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.95

$2.19 €1.89

-29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 SEK 33.16

$1.52 €1.31

126.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.37

$0.92 €0.80

39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 SEK 69.1

$7.12 €6.14

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 SEK 122

$8.14 €7.02

55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$1.50 €1.29

25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SEK 17.71

$2.78 €2.40

-33.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.96

$3.15 €2.72

8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 SEK 555

$26.99 €23.29

113.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 SEK 91.6

$3.25 €2.80

192.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 SEK 21.67

$1.50 €1.30

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 SEK 693

$34.89 €30.11

106.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.98

$1.75 €1.51

0.57%

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

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

$36.7K €31.6K

-8.61%

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

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

$30.9K €26.7K

15.60%

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

$173 SEK 1,663

$188 €162

-7.96%

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

$32.34 SEK 312

$15.44 €13.32

109.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 SEK 269

$37.80 €32.61

-26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 SEK 475

$57.2 €49.34

-13.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.98 SEK 356

$16.80 €14.49

120.12%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 SEK 130

$11.58 €9.99

16.23%

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

$161 SEK 1,552

$1,003 €865

-83.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

$17.0K €14.7K

-65.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 SEK 1,182

$89.2 €77.0

37.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 SEK 329

$40.87 €35.27

-16.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,211

$110 €94.9

14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,599

$123 €106

35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,766

$1,673 €1,444

-51.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 SEK 5,775

$1,331 €1,149

-54.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

$2,596 €2,240

-40.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

$1,950 €1,683

-40.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

$7,573 €6,535

-57.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

$5,370 €4,634

-56.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

$2,402 €2,073

9.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.16

21.84%

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

Last update for Lulea: September 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99.0 in Lulea vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $332 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,919 vs $2,495 including rent). Lulea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Lulea versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,495 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.