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: $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Lulea versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,161 in Lulea versus $4,563 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 41% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$17.58 €15.12

-26.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 SEK 875

$68.4 €58.9

37.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 112

$14.06 €12.09

-14.58%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 43.39

$2.78 €2.39

67.27%

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

$2.56 SEK 23.88

$2.80 €2.41

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.25

$2.06 €1.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 78.9

$4.46 €3.84

89.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 SEK 93.2

$4.61 €3.96

116.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.02

$1.24 €1.07

55.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 SEK 33.15

$2.03 €1.74

74.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 SEK 46.86

$1.92 €1.65

161.46%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 46.21

$3.31 €2.85

49.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$18.43 €15.85

-29.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 130

$9.49 €8.16

47.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 SEK 255

$19.16 €16.48

42.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.13

$2.64 €2.27

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.15

$2.45 €2.11

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.49

$2.12 €1.82

23.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.17

$2.85 €2.45

58.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 SEK 20.33

$2.04 €1.75

6.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.26

$1.85 €1.59

-11.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.88

$1.47 €1.26

132.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.53

$0.84 €0.73

72.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 SEK 69.5

$7.14 €6.14

4.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 SEK 118

$7.88 €6.78

60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.10

$1.38 €1.19

32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.77

$2.31 €1.99

-22.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.39

$2.98 €2.56

12.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 561

$29.26 €25.17

105.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 SEK 88.9

$4.60 €3.95

107.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.00

$2.07 €1.78

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 SEK 700

$29.18 €25.10

157.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.60

$1.84 €1.58

2.72%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-18.03%

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

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

$32.7K €28.1K

6.69%

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

$174 SEK 1,627

$188 €162

-7.13%

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

$33.07 SEK 309

$22.93 €19.73

44.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 SEK 265

$36.71 €31.58

-22.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 SEK 459

$57.4 €49.35

-14.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 SEK 342

$20.70 €17.80

77.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 128

$11.19 €9.63

22.88%

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

$159 SEK 1,481

$721 €620

-77.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

$15.0K €12.9K

-61.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,168

$86.2 €74.2

45.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 SEK 315

$37.07 €31.89

-9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,175

$102 €87.8

23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,605

$116 €99.7

48.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,376

$1,534 €1,319

-48.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SEK 5,395

$1,220 €1,050

-52.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

$2,696 €2,319

-47.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 SEK 9,824

$2,013 €1,732

-47.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

$7,220 €6,211

-53.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

$5,189 €4,463

-54.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

$2,359 €2,029

15.81%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Lulea and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Lulea vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $318 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,885 vs $2,367 including rent). Lulea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lulea pays 16% more on average, 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: $791 in Lulea versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $159 in Lulea versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,367 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 26% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.