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: $1,669 in Marsta versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,655 in Marsta versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,640 in Marsta versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Marsta costs roughly 33% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marsta 22% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.49 SEK 133

$18.74 €16.33

-28.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 SEK 675

$69.5 €60.6

-1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 102

$13.77 €12.00

-24.91%

Cappuccino

$4.59 SEK 45.26

$3.10 €2.70

48.06%

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

$2.07 SEK 20.37

$2.83 €2.47

-26.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 18.99

$1.88 €1.64

2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 SEK 71.4

$3.98 €3.47

82.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 SEK 72.9

$4.53 €3.95

63.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.90

$1.27 €1.11

43.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 SEK 31.78

$2.16 €1.88

49.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 SEK 53.9

$1.76 €1.53

210.80%

Eggs

$3.83 SEK 37.70

$5.13 €4.47

-25.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 SEK 139

$17.88 €15.59

-20.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 SEK 90.0

$9.65 €8.41

-5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 SEK 173

$20.15 €17.56

-12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 31.06

$3.25 €2.84

-3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 26.23

$2.23 €1.94

19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 SEK 20.14

$2.60 €2.27

-21.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 SEK 38.85

$2.76 €2.40

42.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.72

$2.21 €1.93

-32.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.56

$2.12 €1.85

-25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 SEK 20.15

$1.55 €1.35

31.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SEK 18.89

$0.95 €0.83

102.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 SEK 70.5

$7.34 €6.40

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 SEK 104

$8.05 €7.01

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.79

$1.54 €1.35

30.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.10

$2.79 €2.43

-19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 SEK 33.41

$3.11 €2.71

9.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.2 SEK 780

$25.86 €22.54

206.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.57 SEK 134

$3.27 €2.85

314.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 SEK 20.02

$1.48 €1.29

37.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.4 SEK 586

$34.27 €29.88

73.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.28

$1.73 €1.51

1.16%

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

$34.7K SEK 341.5K

$36.4K €31.7K

-4.71%

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

$34.0K SEK 334.9K

$30.5K €26.6K

11.28%

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

$62.5 SEK 616

$187 €163

-66.58%

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

$26.88 SEK 265

$15.14 €13.20

77.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.99 SEK 404

$37.69 €32.85

8.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.54 SEK 380

$55.9 €48.76

-31.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.52 SEK 251

$17.08 €14.89

49.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.34 SEK 161

$11.41 €9.95

43.21%

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

$224 SEK 2,212

$997 €869

-77.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,274 SEK 52.0K

$16.5K €14.4K

-68.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 SEK 511

$92.6 €80.8

-43.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.99 SEK 305

$41.22 €35.93

-24.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 SEK 910

$111 €96.9

-16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 SEK 1,046

$125 €109

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 8,300

$1,707 €1,488

-50.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 SEK 5,974

$1,286 €1,121

-52.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 SEK 13.6K

$2,565 €2,236

-46.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 SEK 10.6K

$1,942 €1,693

-44.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 41.2K

$7,647 €6,666

-45.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,874 SEK 28.3K

$5,167 €4,504

-44.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,836 SEK 47.7K

$2,348 €2,047

105.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.16

1.27%

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

Last update for Marsta: September 15, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Marsta and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 106% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Marsta vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $336, 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,669 vs $2,476 including rent). Marsta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Marsta, 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: $842 in Marsta versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Marsta versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,669 in Marsta versus $2,476 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 48% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.