Cost of Living Comparison Between Solna and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Solna and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,740 in Solna versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Solna versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,655 in Solna versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solna 31% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 SEK 140

$17.15 €14.86

-13.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 SEK 537

$68.1 €58.9

-16.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 SEK 99.8

$13.64 €11.82

-22.95%

Cappuccino

$5.04 SEK 47.88

$2.78 €2.41

81.29%

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

$3.13 SEK 29.72

$2.82 €2.44

10.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SEK 14.96

$1.96 €1.70

-19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 SEK 70.7

$4.43 €3.84

67.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 SEK 75.5

$4.61 €3.99

72.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 SEK 14.65

$1.27 €1.10

21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 SEK 25.19

$2.13 €1.85

24.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 SEK 36.17

$1.99 €1.72

91.46%

Eggs

$3.89 SEK 37.00

$3.37 €2.92

15.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 SEK 92.0

$18.96 €16.42

-48.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 116

$9.53 €8.26

28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 SEK 142

$18.73 €16.22

-20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.50

$2.65 €2.29

-38.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 SEK 19.73

$2.35 €2.04

-11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.92

$2.09 €1.81

25.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 29.29

$2.73 €2.37

12.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 15.34

$1.96 €1.70

-17.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 SEK 18.98

$1.81 €1.56

10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 SEK 21.40

$1.51 €1.31

49.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 SEK 10.60

$0.89 €0.77

25.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.56 SEK 71.8

$6.78 €5.87

11.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 SEK 118

$7.92 €6.86

56.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.86

$1.37 €1.19

6.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 SEK 8.57

$2.40 €2.08

-62.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 SEK 41.79

$2.91 €2.52

51.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 SEK 985

$28.66 €24.82

261.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 SEK 35.55

$4.58 €3.96

-18.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.79

$2.04 €1.77

-18.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.8 SEK 796

$28.72 €24.87

191.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.82

$1.82 €1.58

8.79%

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

$26.5K SEK 252.0K

$39.3K €34.0K

-32.54%

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

$29.9K SEK 284.2K

$32.5K €28.1K

-7.89%

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

$111 SEK 1,054

$187 €162

-40.54%

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

$28.32 SEK 269

$22.29 €19.30

27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.57 SEK 395

$36.37 €31.50

14.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.61 SEK 433

$57.5 €49.82

-20.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.80 SEK 245

$20.74 €17.96

24.40%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 SEK 145

$10.77 €9.33

41.69%

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

$160 SEK 1,523

$725 €628

-77.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,203 SEK 39.9K

$15.2K €13.1K

-72.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 SEK 885

$87.9 €76.1

6.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 SEK 395

$36.81 €31.88

12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 SEK 882

$103 €89.6

-10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.2 SEK 496

$119 €103

-56.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 SEK 8,082

$1,524 €1,319

-44.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 SEK 6,109

$1,227 €1,062

-47.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 SEK 13.0K

$2,727 €2,362

-49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

$1,984 €1,718

-44.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,901 SEK 65.6K

$7,469 €6,468

-7.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,814 SEK 26.7K

$5,243 €4,541

-46.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,775 SEK 35.9K

$2,393 €2,072

57.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

3.39

41.59%

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

Last update for Solna: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $851 in Solna and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solna pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Solna vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $319 per month, with Solna 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

Solna vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solna and Barcelona differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,740 vs $2,359 including rent). Solna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% higher in Solna, 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: $851 in Solna versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Solna versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,740 in Solna versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Solna but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Solna 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, Solna 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 Solna 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.