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: $1,802 in Marsta versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,754 in Marsta versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,706 in Marsta versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Marsta costs roughly 23% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marsta 35% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.22 SEK 123

$17.61 €15.04

-24.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 SEK 634

$68.7 €58.7

-0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 SEK 98.3

$13.75 €11.74

-22.91%

Cappuccino

$4.45 SEK 41.24

$2.76 €2.36

61.23%

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

$2.17 SEK 20.11

$2.78 €2.38

-21.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SEK 17.38

$2.05 €1.75

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 SEK 68.7

$4.61 €3.93

60.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 SEK 68.0

$4.59 €3.92

59.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SEK 16.51

$1.28 €1.09

39.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 SEK 29.87

$2.11 €1.80

52.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 SEK 36.88

$1.97 €1.68

102.03%

Eggs

$3.82 SEK 35.43

$3.44 €2.94

11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 SEK 130

$18.83 €16.08

-25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 SEK 89.0

$9.45 €8.07

1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 SEK 146

$19.01 €16.24

-17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 SEK 34.21

$2.72 €2.32

35.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 SEK 23.75

$2.37 €2.03

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 29.12

$2.08 €1.77

50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.00

$2.76 €2.36

44.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.07

$1.97 €1.68

-22.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 15.03

$1.79 €1.53

-9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 SEK 25.03

$1.51 €1.29

78.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SEK 16.27

$0.90 €0.77

94.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 SEK 66.5

$6.76 €5.77

6.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 SEK 98.5

$7.55 €6.44

40.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SEK 16.60

$1.44 €1.23

24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.40

$2.41 €2.06

-21.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 SEK 38.28

$3.03 €2.59

36.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 SEK 933

$28.39 €24.25

254.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.25 SEK 114

$4.43 €3.78

176.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 SEK 15.12

$2.05 €1.75

-20.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.0 SEK 556

$29.33 €25.05

104.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 SEK 18.56

$1.89 €1.61

5.82%

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

$33.0K SEK 305.5K

$38.7K €33.1K

-14.93%

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

$34.3K SEK 317.8K

$32.4K €27.6K

5.95%

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

$88.1 SEK 817

$189 €161

-53.30%

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

$28.80 SEK 267

$22.21 €18.96

29.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.96 SEK 343

$36.82 €31.44

0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.08 SEK 270

$58.0 €49.52

-49.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 SEK 231

$20.99 €17.93

18.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 SEK 147

$11.05 €9.44

43.35%

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

$144 SEK 1,334

$726 €620

-80.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$746 SEK 6,914

$15.2K €13.0K

-95.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 SEK 720

$88.3 €75.4

-12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.96 SEK 398

$36.98 €31.58

16.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SEK 935

$103 €87.6

-1.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 SEK 996

$119 €102

-9.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 SEK 7,926

$1,526 €1,304

-43.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 SEK 5,977

$1,218 €1,040

-47.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 SEK 12.8K

$2,794 €2,386

-50.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.1K

$2,027 €1,731

-46.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,869 SEK 35.9K

$7,094 €6,058

-45.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,651 SEK 24.6K

$4,849 €4,141

-45.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,003 SEK 46.4K

$2,404 €2,053

108.10%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $855 in Marsta and $1,526 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: $68.0 in Marsta vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $320, 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,802 vs $2,341 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: $855 in Marsta versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Marsta versus $726 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 $1,802 in Marsta versus $2,341 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 30% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.