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: $1,836 in Ostersund versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,835 in Ostersund versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,833 in Ostersund versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Ostersund costs roughly 26% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ostersund 34% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 SEK 136

$18.39 €15.87

-23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 SEK 772

$69.2 €59.7

15.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 SEK 102

$14.13 €12.19

-24.98%

Cappuccino

$4.72 SEK 45.46

$3.13 €2.70

50.80%

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

$2.80 SEK 26.96

$3.02 €2.60

-7.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.07

$1.96 €1.69

11.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 69.2

$4.00 €3.45

79.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 SEK 71.9

$4.76 €4.11

56.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 SEK 14.98

$1.25 €1.08

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 SEK 30.06

$2.16 €1.87

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 SEK 48.09

$1.69 €1.45

195.27%

Eggs

$3.45 SEK 33.24

$4.93 €4.26

-30.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 SEK 135

$17.88 €15.43

-21.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 112

$9.61 €8.29

21.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 SEK 152

$19.34 €16.69

-18.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 41.94

$3.24 €2.79

34.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 29.07

$2.18 €1.88

38.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SEK 35.31

$2.67 €2.30

37.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 SEK 39.46

$2.77 €2.39

48.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.43

$2.21 €1.91

-27.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.18

$2.19 €1.89

-23.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 SEK 22.31

$1.52 €1.31

52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SEK 14.34

$0.92 €0.80

61.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.99 SEK 77.0

$7.12 €6.14

12.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 SEK 103

$8.14 €7.02

31.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 19.47

$1.50 €1.29

34.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 22.86

$2.78 €2.40

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 SEK 34.48

$3.15 €2.72

13.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 SEK 776

$26.99 €23.29

198.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 60.9

$3.25 €2.80

94.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 SEK 17.38

$1.50 €1.30

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.8 SEK 595

$34.89 €30.11

77.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 18.12

$1.75 €1.51

7.43%

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

$34.5K SEK 331.9K

$36.7K €31.6K

-5.99%

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

$34.7K SEK 334.5K

$30.9K €26.7K

12.27%

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

$114 SEK 1,100

$188 €162

-39.11%

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

$26.86 SEK 259

$15.44 €13.32

73.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.08 SEK 396

$37.80 €32.61

8.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.08 SEK 386

$57.2 €49.34

-29.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.27 SEK 263

$16.80 €14.49

62.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 SEK 147

$11.58 €9.99

31.52%

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

$128 SEK 1,237

$1,003 €865

-87.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,229 SEK 50.4K

$17.0K €14.7K

-69.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 SEK 896

$89.2 €77.0

4.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 SEK 427

$40.87 €35.27

8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 SEK 956

$110 €94.9

-9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 SEK 1,430

$123 €106

21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 SEK 8,102

$1,673 €1,444

-49.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 SEK 5,967

$1,331 €1,149

-53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 SEK 13.4K

$2,596 €2,240

-46.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 SEK 10.1K

$1,950 €1,683

-46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 SEK 41.4K

$7,573 €6,535

-43.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 SEK 28.1K

$5,370 €4,634

-45.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,073

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

3.16

8.23%

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

Last update for Ostersund: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Ostersund and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Ostersund vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $332 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,836 vs $2,495 including rent). Ostersund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,755 in Ostersund and $3,743 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: $841 in Ostersund versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $128 in Ostersund versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,836 in Ostersund versus $2,495 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 36% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.