Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,476 in Sala versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,228 in Sala versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,979 in Sala versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Sala costs roughly 38% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 10% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 SEK 117

$17.58 €15.12

-28.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 SEK 592

$68.4 €58.9

-7.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 SEK 96.4

$14.06 €12.09

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$3.18 SEK 29.63

$2.78 €2.39

14.39%

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

$1.90 SEK 17.72

$2.80 €2.41

-32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.25

$2.06 €1.78

20.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 SEK 70.2

$4.46 €3.84

68.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 SEK 69.5

$4.61 €3.96

61.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 16.52

$1.24 €1.07

42.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 25.34

$2.03 €1.74

33.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 SEK 34.46

$1.92 €1.65

92.19%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 37.93

$3.31 €2.85

22.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 111

$18.43 €15.85

-35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 SEK 111

$9.49 €8.16

25.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 SEK 145

$19.16 €16.48

-18.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 SEK 29.23

$2.64 €2.27

18.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.49

$2.45 €2.11

6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.47

$2.12 €1.82

33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 SEK 47.14

$2.85 €2.45

77.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 13.96

$2.04 €1.75

-26.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 SEK 11.04

$1.85 €1.59

-36.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 24.63

$1.47 €1.26

79.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 SEK 10.09

$0.84 €0.73

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.19 SEK 67.1

$7.14 €6.14

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 SEK 59.7

$7.88 €6.78

-18.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 24.03

$1.38 €1.19

86.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SEK 18.17

$2.31 €1.99

-15.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 SEK 29.07

$2.98 €2.56

4.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 SEK 205

$29.26 €25.17

-24.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 SEK 57.3

$4.60 €3.95

33.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 SEK 15.25

$2.07 €1.78

-21.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.03 SEK 196

$29.18 €25.10

-27.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.05

$1.84 €1.58

4.89%

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

$42.3K SEK 394.7K

$39.0K €33.6K

8.43%

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

$34.2K SEK 318.8K

$32.7K €28.1K

4.49%

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

$91.5 SEK 854

$188 €162

-51.29%

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

$20.77 SEK 194

$22.93 €19.73

-9.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.21 SEK 347

$36.71 €31.58

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.99 SEK 438

$57.4 €49.35

-18.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.86 SEK 195

$20.70 €17.80

0.77%

Cinema Ticket

$19.06 SEK 178

$11.19 €9.63

70.33%

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

$147 SEK 1,370

$721 €620

-79.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,242 SEK 11.6K

$15.0K €12.9K

-91.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.61 SEK 435

$86.2 €74.2

-45.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 SEK 346

$37.07 €31.89

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 SEK 525

$102 €87.8

-44.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 SEK 542

$116 €99.7

-49.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 SEK 7,159

$1,534 €1,319

-49.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 SEK 4,999

$1,220 €1,050

-56.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 SEK 8,946

$2,696 €2,319

-64.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 SEK 6,885

$2,013 €1,732

-63.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 SEK 34.8K

$7,220 €6,211

-48.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 SEK 27.2K

$5,189 €4,463

-43.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,549 SEK 23.8K

$2,359 €2,029

8.04%

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 Sala: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Sala and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Sala vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $318, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sala vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sala and Barcelona differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,476 vs $2,367 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sala pays 8% more on average, 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: $767 in Sala versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Sala 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 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,476 in Sala versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sala 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, Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.