Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsta and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsta and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,750 in Marsta versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,757 in Marsta versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,764 in Marsta versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Marsta costs roughly 25% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marsta 30% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 SEK 125

$17.08 €14.72

-21.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 SEK 631

$69.2 €59.7

-2.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 SEK 100

$13.78 €11.87

-22.42%

Cappuccino

$4.70 SEK 44.09

$2.76 €2.37

70.29%

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

$2.14 SEK 20.07

$2.79 €2.40

-23.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.60

$1.99 €1.72

-5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 SEK 68.4

$4.36 €3.76

67.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 SEK 67.6

$4.74 €4.09

52.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 SEK 17.39

$1.29 €1.11

43.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 SEK 29.64

$2.05 €1.77

54.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 SEK 37.34

$1.99 €1.71

100.00%

Eggs

$3.76 SEK 35.25

$3.39 €2.92

10.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 SEK 133

$18.81 €16.21

-24.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 SEK 91.3

$9.36 €8.07

3.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 SEK 149

$19.12 €16.48

-17.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 SEK 32.99

$2.70 €2.32

30.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.15

$2.34 €2.02

9.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 SEK 30.14

$2.12 €1.83

51.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 SEK 36.27

$2.85 €2.46

35.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.52

$1.97 €1.70

-21.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 15.19

$1.80 €1.55

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 SEK 25.16

$1.45 €1.25

84.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 16.33

$0.86 €0.74

102.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 68.5

$6.78 €5.84

7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 SEK 99.9

$7.90 €6.81

34.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SEK 16.08

$1.39 €1.20

23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SEK 17.90

$2.37 €2.04

-19.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.25 SEK 39.86

$2.92 €2.52

45.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 SEK 929

$28.69 €24.72

245.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.07 SEK 113

$4.46 €3.84

170.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.42

$2.05 €1.77

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.6 SEK 549

$29.55 €25.46

98.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.60

$1.82 €1.56

8.79%

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

$32.7K SEK 306.4K

$38.8K €33.5K

-15.89%

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

$34.4K SEK 323.2K

$33.1K €28.5K

4.08%

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

$88.8 SEK 833

$189 €163

-53.05%

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

$27.88 SEK 262

$22.80 €19.65

22.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 SEK 345

$37.59 €32.39

-2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.68 SEK 269

$57.7 €49.75

-50.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.49 SEK 239

$20.74 €17.87

22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 SEK 148

$10.82 €9.33

45.75%

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

$145 SEK 1,358

$728 €628

-80.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$746 SEK 6,999

$14.8K €12.7K

-94.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 SEK 735

$88.6 €76.4

-11.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.16 SEK 405

$36.85 €31.75

17.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 SEK 936

$102 €87.9

-2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 SEK 1,001

$116 €100

-8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 SEK 7,800

$1,569 €1,352

-47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 SEK 6,036

$1,218 €1,050

-47.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 SEK 13.3K

$2,795 €2,409

-49.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 SEK 10.1K

$1,975 €1,702

-45.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,574 SEK 42.9K

$7,754 €6,680

-41.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,555 SEK 24.0K

$5,176 €4,460

-50.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,884 SEK 45.8K

$2,343 €2,019

108.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

3.39

33.63%

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

Last update for Marsta: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $831 in Marsta and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 108% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Marsta vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $319, 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

Marsta vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marsta and Barcelona differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,750 vs $2,337 including rent). Marsta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Marsta pays 108% 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: $831 in Marsta versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Marsta versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,750 in Marsta versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Marsta but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Marsta 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, Marsta 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 Marsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.