Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsta and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsta: $1,657 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Marsta, Sweden
Barcelona, Spain
Marsta
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,657
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marsta 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 Marsta and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,657 in Marsta versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Marsta $1,657
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,563 in Marsta versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Marsta $2,563
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,468 in Marsta versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Marsta $3,468
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Marsta costs roughly 32% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marsta 22% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.29 SEK 130
$17.59 €15.76
-24.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.3 SEK 632
$67.5 €60.5
-4.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.28 SEK 101
$13.53 €12.12
-24.02%
Cappuccino
$4.31 SEK 42.30
$3.19 €2.86
35.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 SEK 19.68
$2.91 €2.61
-31.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 SEK 17.95
$1.89 €1.70
-3.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.88 SEK 67.6
$4.01 €3.59
71.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.94 SEK 68.1
$4.53 €4.06
53.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 SEK 16.85
$1.31 €1.17
31.30%
White Bread (500g)
$3.15 SEK 30.93
$2.02 €1.81
55.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.73 SEK 56.3
$1.85 €1.66
209.73%
Eggs
$3.67 SEK 36.06
$4.83 €4.33
-24.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.27 SEK 130
$16.74 €15.00
-20.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.05 SEK 88.8
$9.12 €8.17
-0.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.91 SEK 166
$19.64 €17.60
-13.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 SEK 28.80
$2.98 €2.67
-1.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 SEK 26.36
$2.02 €1.81
32.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 SEK 20.39
$2.70 €2.42
-22.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 SEK 36.01
$2.80 €2.51
31.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.43 SEK 14.09
$2.09 €1.87
-31.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 SEK 14.54
$2.07 €1.85
-28.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.99 SEK 19.58
$1.46 €1.31
36.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 SEK 18.78
$0.94 €0.84
103.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.96 SEK 68.4
$6.87 €6.16
1.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.01 SEK 98.3
$7.89 €7.07
26.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 SEK 19.33
$1.41 €1.26
39.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 SEK 21.14
$2.54 €2.27
-15.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.39 SEK 33.33
$3.14 €2.82
7.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 SEK 759
$25.45 €22.80
203.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$13.37 SEK 131
$2.99 €2.68
347.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 SEK 20.29
$1.49 €1.34
38.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.9 SEK 558
$33.37 €29.91
70.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 SEK 17.37
$1.80 €1.61
-1.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K SEK 330.7K
$33.2K €29.7K
1.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K SEK 332.3K
$31.7K €28.4K
6.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.2 SEK 601
$180 €162
-66.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.72 SEK 282
$13.84 €12.40
107.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.48 SEK 397
$33.70 €30.20
20.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.42 SEK 367
$51.5 €46.16
-27.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.31 SEK 258
$15.96 €14.30
64.85%
Cinema Ticket
$16.10 SEK 158
$10.99 €9.85
46.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$219 SEK 2,149
$917 €821
-76.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,996 SEK 49.1K
$16.5K €14.8K
-69.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 SEK 496
$87.0 €78.0
-41.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.77 SEK 292
$38.51 €34.51
-22.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.2 SEK 895
$106 €94.8
-13.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 SEK 1,009
$120 €107
-14.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 SEK 7,959
$1,699 €1,523
-52.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 SEK 6,039
$1,355 €1,214
-54.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,380 SEK 13.6K
$2,603 €2,332
-46.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 SEK 9,879
$2,062 €1,848
-51.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,040 SEK 39.7K
$6,915 €6,196
-41.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,789 SEK 27.4K
$5,128 €4,595
-45.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marsta
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,609 SEK 45.3K
$2,211 €1,981
108.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.8
3.28
-14.63%

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

Last update for Marsta: October 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marsta
$615
Barcelona
$1.4K 120% $740
Groceries & Markets
Marsta
$352
Barcelona
$322 8.5% $30
Eating Out
Marsta
$252
Barcelona
$268 6.1% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marsta
$130
Barcelona
$228 74.8% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Marsta
$123
Barcelona
$158 28% $35
Getting Around
Marsta
$115
Barcelona
$48 57.7% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Marsta
$70
Barcelona
$74 5.6% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $811 in Marsta and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Marsta vs $67 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $322, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Marsta
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
09:31 9:31 AM
09:31 9:31 AM
Same time as Marsta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,068
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marsta Barcelona 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Marsta
  • 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
Marsta vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Marsta and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,657 in Marsta and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Marsta is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Marsta or Barcelona?
Average pay in Marsta is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Marsta and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $811 in Marsta 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 Marsta and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $219 in Marsta 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.
How does quality of life compare between Marsta 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 Marsta or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Marsta and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Marsta vs other spots: cost of living compared

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