Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skelleftea and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Skelleftea: $1,985 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Skelleftea, Sweden
Barcelona, Spain
Skelleftea
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,985
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skelleftea and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Skelleftea and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,985 in Skelleftea versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Skelleftea $1,985
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,004 in Skelleftea versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Skelleftea $3,004
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,022 in Skelleftea versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Skelleftea $4,022
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Skelleftea costs roughly 19% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skelleftea 46% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.15 SEK 159
$17.59 €15.76
-8.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.2 SEK 798
$67.5 €60.5
20.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.15 SEK 129
$13.53 €12.12
-2.81%
Cappuccino
$4.66 SEK 45.72
$3.19 €2.86
46.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 SEK 25.26
$2.91 €2.61
-11.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 SEK 22.74
$1.89 €1.70
22.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.25 SEK 81.0
$4.01 €3.59
105.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.06 SEK 79.2
$4.53 €4.06
77.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 SEK 15.51
$1.31 €1.17
20.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 SEK 25.37
$2.02 €1.81
27.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.81 SEK 47.23
$1.85 €1.66
160.00%
Eggs
$5.23 SEK 51.4
$4.83 €4.33
8.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.26 SEK 111
$16.74 €15.00
-32.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.82 SEK 106
$9.12 €8.17
18.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.52 SEK 241
$19.64 €17.60
24.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 SEK 32.66
$2.98 €2.67
11.74%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 SEK 23.47
$2.02 €1.81
18.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 SEK 31.69
$2.70 €2.42
19.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.63 SEK 35.65
$2.80 €2.51
29.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 SEK 22.38
$2.09 €1.87
9.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 SEK 15.93
$2.07 €1.85
-21.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 SEK 21.71
$1.46 €1.31
51.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 SEK 14.89
$0.94 €0.84
61.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.24 SEK 71.1
$6.87 €6.16
5.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.13 SEK 149
$7.89 €7.07
91.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 SEK 17.59
$1.41 €1.26
26.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 SEK 16.48
$2.54 €2.27
-33.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.89 SEK 28.37
$3.14 €2.82
-7.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.5 SEK 515
$25.45 €22.80
106.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.23 SEK 80.8
$2.99 €2.68
175.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 SEK 16.88
$1.49 €1.34
15.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.7 SEK 586
$33.37 €29.91
78.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 SEK 17.26
$1.80 €1.61
-2.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K SEK 321.6K
$33.2K €29.7K
-1.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K SEK 315.3K
$31.7K €28.4K
1.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 SEK 1,038
$180 €162
-41.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.42 SEK 250
$13.84 €12.40
83.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.9 SEK 500
$33.70 €30.20
51.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.99 SEK 373
$51.5 €46.16
-26.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.32 SEK 258
$15.96 €14.30
64.91%
Cinema Ticket
$14.82 SEK 146
$10.99 €9.85
34.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$145 SEK 1,424
$917 €821
-84.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,606 SEK 55.1K
$16.5K €14.8K
-65.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.9 SEK 941
$87.0 €78.0
10.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.55 SEK 388
$38.51 €34.51
2.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.4 SEK 800
$106 €94.8
-23.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$155 SEK 1,518
$120 €107
29.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 SEK 11.6K
$1,699 €1,523
-30.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$801 SEK 7,865
$1,355 €1,214
-40.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,579 SEK 15.5K
$2,603 €2,332
-39.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,218 SEK 12.0K
$2,062 €1,848
-40.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 SEK 39.4K
$6,915 €6,196
-41.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,789 SEK 27.4K
$5,128 €4,595
-45.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Skelleftea
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,595 SEK 25.5K
$2,211 €1,981
17.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.9
3.28
18.90%

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

Last update for Skelleftea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Skelleftea
$801
Barcelona
$1.4K 69.2% $554
Groceries & Markets
Skelleftea
$385
Barcelona
$322 16.4% $63
Eating Out
Skelleftea
$301
Barcelona
$268 11.1% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skelleftea
$182
Barcelona
$228 25.2% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Skelleftea
$167
Barcelona
$158 5.5% $9.2
Getting Around
Skelleftea
$81
Barcelona
$48 40% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Skelleftea
$68
Barcelona
$74 8.7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,176 in Skelleftea and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skelleftea pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81 in Skelleftea vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $322 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Skelleftea
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
03:44 3:44 AM
03:44 3:44 AM
Same time as Skelleftea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,775
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Skelleftea Barcelona 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Skelleftea
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Skelleftea vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Skelleftea and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,985 in Skelleftea and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Skelleftea is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Skelleftea or Barcelona?
Average pay runs 17% higher in Skelleftea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Skelleftea and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,176 in Skelleftea versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Skelleftea and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $145 in Skelleftea versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How does quality of life compare between Skelleftea and Barcelona?
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.
Is Skelleftea or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Skelleftea and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Skelleftea vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?