Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostersund and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostersund and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,859 in Ostersund versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Ostersund versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,860 in Ostersund versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Ostersund costs roughly 20% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ostersund 39% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.60 SEK 131

$17.66 €15.45

-22.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 SEK 705

$69.7 €61.0

4.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 100.0

$14.16 €12.39

-26.98%

Cappuccino

$4.74 SEK 45.81

$2.80 €2.45

69.29%

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

$2.81 SEK 27.17

$2.81 €2.46

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 24.17

$2.06 €1.81

21.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 SEK 76.2

$4.60 €4.02

71.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 SEK 75.4

$4.69 €4.10

66.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SEK 14.43

$1.23 €1.08

21.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 29.11

$2.03 €1.78

48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 SEK 48.24

$1.98 €1.73

152.02%

Eggs

$3.43 SEK 33.18

$3.49 €3.05

-1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 SEK 139

$18.33 €16.04

-21.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 SEK 114

$9.83 €8.60

19.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 SEK 152

$19.13 €16.73

-17.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SEK 44.13

$2.73 €2.38

67.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 28.71

$2.38 €2.09

24.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SEK 35.48

$2.08 €1.82

76.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 SEK 39.84

$2.75 €2.41

49.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 SEK 36.41

$1.96 €1.72

92.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.61

$1.79 €1.57

1.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$1.48 €1.29

70.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SEK 15.23

$0.91 €0.80

73.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 78.6

$7.13 €6.24

14.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 SEK 97.6

$7.88 €6.89

28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 18.96

$1.38 €1.21

42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SEK 18.28

$2.39 €2.09

-20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 SEK 31.76

$3.01 €2.63

9.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 SEK 718

$29.35 €25.68

153.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 60.1

$4.36 €3.82

42.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 15.41

$2.13 €1.86

-25.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 609

$29.60 €25.90

112.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 SEK 19.39

$1.82 €1.59

10.44%

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

$32.3K SEK 312.0K

$37.9K €33.1K

-14.82%

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

$33.7K SEK 325.4K

$32.4K €28.3K

3.97%

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

$115 SEK 1,114

$189 €165

-39.05%

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

$28.32 SEK 274

$22.29 €19.50

27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.23 SEK 350

$37.16 €32.51

-2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.03 SEK 387

$58.0 €50.8

-31.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.78 SEK 249

$20.66 €18.08

24.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 SEK 152

$10.87 €9.51

44.53%

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

$129 SEK 1,248

$706 €618

-81.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,166 SEK 40.3K

$14.9K €13.0K

-71.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 SEK 908

$89.4 €78.3

5.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.25 SEK 389

$36.60 €32.02

9.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 SEK 950

$104 €91.0

-5.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 SEK 1,452

$119 €104

25.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 SEK 8,116

$1,579 €1,381

-46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 SEK 6,233

$1,238 €1,083

-47.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 SEK 13.4K

$2,712 €2,373

-48.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 SEK 10.3K

$2,039 €1,784

-47.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,780 SEK 36.5K

$7,527 €6,585

-49.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,856 SEK 27.6K

$5,239 €4,584

-45.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

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 Ostersund: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $840 in Ostersund and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Ostersund vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $320 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

Ostersund vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostersund and Barcelona differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,859 vs $2,320 including rent). Ostersund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,788 in Ostersund and $3,480 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $840 in Ostersund versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $129 in Ostersund versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,859 in Ostersund versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ostersund but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ostersund 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, Ostersund 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 Ostersund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.