Cost of Living Comparison Between Roskilde and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Roskilde and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,527 in Roskilde versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,894 in Roskilde versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Roskilde versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Roskilde is roughly 9% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Roskilde 89% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 DKK 123

$17.66 €15.43

6.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 DKK 775

$69.7 €60.9

70.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 DKK 89.9

$14.16 €12.37

-2.90%

Cappuccino

$6.89 DKK 45.05

$2.80 €2.45

146.07%

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

$4.55 DKK 29.72

$2.81 €2.46

61.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 DKK 20.28

$2.06 €1.80

50.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.49 DKK 62.0

$4.60 €4.02

106.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 DKK 49.97

$4.69 €4.10

63.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 DKK 13.10

$1.23 €1.07

62.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 DKK 20.58

$2.03 €1.78

55.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 DKK 15.86

$1.98 €1.73

22.73%

Eggs

$5.01 DKK 32.72

$3.49 €3.05

43.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 DKK 89.6

$18.33 €16.01

-25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 DKK 69.1

$9.83 €8.59

7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 DKK 104

$19.13 €16.71

-16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 DKK 17.34

$2.73 €2.38

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 DKK 19.01

$2.38 €2.08

22.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 DKK 13.57

$2.08 €1.82

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 DKK 26.73

$2.75 €2.41

48.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 DKK 11.90

$1.96 €1.71

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 DKK 9.72

$1.79 €1.57

-16.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 DKK 10.23

$1.48 €1.29

6.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 DKK 5.29

$0.91 €0.80

-10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 DKK 58.9

$7.13 €6.23

26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.45 DKK 48.66

$7.88 €6.88

-5.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 DKK 12.54

$1.38 €1.20

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 DKK 13.37

$2.39 €2.09

-14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 DKK 24.20

$3.01 €2.63

22.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 DKK 513

$29.35 €25.65

167.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 DKK 39.52

$4.36 €3.81

38.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 DKK 9.19

$2.13 €1.86

-33.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 DKK 401

$29.60 €25.86

107.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 DKK 13.82

$1.82 €1.59

15.93%

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

$48.1K DKK 314.5K

$37.9K €33.1K

27.03%

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

$48.1K DKK 314.3K

$32.4K €28.3K

48.55%

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

$206 DKK 1,345

$189 €165

8.90%

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

$20.19 DKK 132

$22.29 €19.48

-9.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 DKK 263

$37.16 €32.47

8.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 DKK 358

$58.0 €50.7

-5.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.37 DKK 198

$20.66 €18.05

47.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.20 DKK 112

$10.87 €9.50

58.23%

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

$381 DKK 2,492

$706 €617

-45.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,941 DKK 38.8K

$14.9K €13.0K

-60.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 DKK 661

$89.4 €78.2

13.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 DKK 229

$36.60 €31.98

-4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 DKK 783

$104 €90.9

15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 DKK 1,279

$119 €104

64.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 DKK 8,796

$1,579 €1,379

-14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 DKK 7,475

$1,238 €1,082

-7.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,632 DKK 17.2K

$2,712 €2,370

-2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,120 DKK 13.8K

$2,039 €1,782

3.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,783 DKK 44.3K

$7,527 €6,576

-9.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 DKK 40.0K

$5,239 €4,577

16.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,162 DKK 27.2K

$2,364 €2,065

76.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

3.39

15.93%

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

Last update for Roskilde: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Roskilde and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roskilde pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $119 in Roskilde vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 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

Roskilde vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roskilde and Barcelona differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,527 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Roskilde, 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: $1,346 in Roskilde versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $381 in Roskilde versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Roskilde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,527 in Roskilde, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Roskilde. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Roskilde 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Roskilde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.