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: $1,790 in Marsta versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,746 in Marsta versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,703 in Marsta versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Marsta costs roughly 24% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marsta 34% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 SEK 127

$17.15 €14.86

-22.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 SEK 662

$68.1 €58.9

2.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 SEK 98.7

$13.64 €11.82

-23.83%

Cappuccino

$4.46 SEK 42.39

$2.78 €2.41

60.43%

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

$2.10 SEK 19.93

$2.82 €2.44

-25.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SEK 17.81

$1.96 €1.70

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 SEK 69.2

$4.43 €3.84

64.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 SEK 71.5

$4.61 €3.99

63.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.06

$1.27 €1.10

41.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 SEK 29.20

$2.13 €1.85

44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 SEK 38.22

$1.99 €1.72

102.01%

Eggs

$3.69 SEK 35.06

$3.37 €2.92

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 SEK 132

$18.96 €16.42

-26.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 SEK 90.9

$9.53 €8.26

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 SEK 151

$18.73 €16.22

-15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 34.25

$2.65 €2.29

36.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.67

$2.35 €2.04

14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 30.20

$2.09 €1.81

52.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 SEK 36.81

$2.73 €2.37

41.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.32

$1.96 €1.70

-22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.20

$1.81 €1.56

-11.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 SEK 26.13

$1.51 €1.31

82.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 16.56

$0.89 €0.77

95.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.48 SEK 71.0

$6.78 €5.87

10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 SEK 98.0

$7.92 €6.86

30.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SEK 16.14

$1.37 €1.19

24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 18.77

$2.40 €2.08

-17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.26 SEK 40.50

$2.91 €2.52

46.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 SEK 971

$28.66 €24.82

256.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 SEK 115

$4.58 €3.96

163.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.57

$2.04 €1.77

-19.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.9 SEK 560

$28.72 €24.87

105.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.10

$1.82 €1.58

4.95%

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

$33.0K SEK 313.8K

$39.3K €34.0K

-16.00%

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

$34.4K SEK 327.2K

$32.5K €28.1K

6.04%

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

$88.4 SEK 839

$187 €162

-52.65%

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

$27.99 SEK 266

$22.29 €19.30

25.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.99 SEK 342

$36.37 €31.50

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.76 SEK 273

$57.5 €49.82

-50.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.60 SEK 243

$20.74 €17.96

23.43%

Cinema Ticket

$15.86 SEK 151

$10.77 €9.33

47.26%

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

$143 SEK 1,362

$725 €628

-80.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$726 SEK 6,898

$15.2K €13.1K

-95.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 SEK 760

$87.9 €76.1

-8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 SEK 417

$36.81 €31.88

19.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 SEK 935

$103 €89.6

-4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 SEK 1,017

$119 €103

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 SEK 8,012

$1,524 €1,319

-44.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 SEK 6,202

$1,227 €1,062

-46.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 SEK 13.3K

$2,727 €2,362

-48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 SEK 10.3K

$1,984 €1,718

-45.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,464 SEK 42.4K

$7,469 €6,468

-40.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,186 SEK 30.3K

$5,243 €4,541

-39.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,806 SEK 45.7K

$2,393 €2,072

100.88%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $843 in Marsta and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Marsta vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $319 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

Marsta vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marsta and Barcelona differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,790 vs $2,359 including rent). Marsta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 101% 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: $843 in Marsta versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Marsta versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,790 in Marsta versus $2,359 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 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.