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: $1,802 in Ostersund versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Ostersund versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,892 in Ostersund versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Ostersund costs roughly 24% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.38 SEK 125

$17.58 €15.12

-23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.5 SEK 677

$68.4 €58.9

5.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 SEK 100

$14.06 €12.09

-23.47%

Cappuccino

$4.70 SEK 43.81

$2.78 €2.39

69.06%

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

$2.82 SEK 26.29

$2.80 €2.41

0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 22.49

$2.06 €1.78

16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 SEK 70.8

$4.46 €3.84

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 SEK 73.1

$4.61 €3.96

69.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 SEK 14.58

$1.24 €1.07

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 SEK 28.45

$2.03 €1.74

50.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 SEK 45.74

$1.92 €1.65

155.21%

Eggs

$3.59 SEK 33.50

$3.31 €2.85

8.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.51 SEK 135

$18.43 €15.85

-21.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 SEK 109

$9.49 €8.16

23.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.19 SEK 151

$19.16 €16.48

-15.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 SEK 42.24

$2.64 €2.27

71.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 28.80

$2.45 €2.11

26.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 33.95

$2.12 €1.82

71.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 SEK 38.63

$2.85 €2.45

45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 SEK 34.77

$2.04 €1.75

82.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 16.61

$1.85 €1.59

-3.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 SEK 23.36

$1.47 €1.26

70.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SEK 14.09

$0.84 €0.73

79.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 SEK 76.6

$7.14 €6.14

14.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 SEK 101

$7.88 €6.78

37.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 SEK 17.82

$1.38 €1.19

38.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SEK 18.18

$2.31 €1.99

-15.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 SEK 32.07

$2.98 €2.56

15.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 SEK 691

$29.26 €25.17

153.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 SEK 60.0

$4.60 €3.95

39.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.34

$2.07 €1.78

-20.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.1 SEK 579

$29.18 €25.10

112.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 SEK 19.51

$1.84 €1.58

13.59%

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

$33.0K SEK 308.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-15.29%

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

$34.4K SEK 320.6K

$32.7K €28.1K

5.09%

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

$114 SEK 1,067

$188 €162

-39.13%

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

$28.69 SEK 268

$22.93 €19.73

25.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.81 SEK 343

$36.71 €31.58

0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 SEK 385

$57.4 €49.35

-28.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 SEK 240

$20.70 €17.80

24.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 SEK 145

$11.19 €9.63

38.70%

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

$132 SEK 1,233

$721 €620

-81.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,119 SEK 38.4K

$15.0K €12.9K

-72.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 SEK 878

$86.2 €74.2

9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.96 SEK 382

$37.07 €31.89

10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 SEK 924

$102 €87.8

-2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 SEK 1,413

$116 €99.7

30.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 SEK 7,756

$1,534 €1,319

-45.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 SEK 6,113

$1,220 €1,050

-46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 SEK 13.0K

$2,696 €2,319

-48.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 SEK 10.2K

$2,013 €1,732

-45.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,366 SEK 40.7K

$7,220 €6,211

-39.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,010 SEK 28.1K

$5,189 €4,463

-41.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $831 in Ostersund and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Ostersund vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $318 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,802 vs $2,367 including rent). Ostersund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,703 in Ostersund and $3,550 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: $831 in Ostersund versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $132 in Ostersund versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,802 in Ostersund versus $2,367 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.