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: $1,747 in Solna versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,688 in Solna versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,630 in Solna versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Solna costs roughly 25% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solna 30% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 SEK 137

$17.08 €14.72

-14.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 SEK 532

$69.2 €59.7

-18.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 SEK 100

$13.78 €11.87

-22.57%

Cappuccino

$4.91 SEK 46.06

$2.76 €2.37

77.90%

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

$3.09 SEK 29.02

$2.79 €2.40

10.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.04

$1.99 €1.72

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 SEK 70.8

$4.36 €3.76

72.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 SEK 73.4

$4.74 €4.09

64.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 SEK 14.60

$1.29 €1.11

20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 SEK 24.54

$2.05 €1.77

27.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 SEK 37.05

$1.99 €1.71

98.49%

Eggs

$4.06 SEK 38.08

$3.39 €2.92

19.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 SEK 87.2

$18.81 €16.21

-50.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.44 SEK 117

$9.36 €8.07

32.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 SEK 143

$19.12 €16.48

-20.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.37

$2.70 €2.32

-39.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 SEK 19.58

$2.34 €2.02

-10.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.57

$2.12 €1.83

23.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 28.92

$2.85 €2.46

8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 SEK 15.06

$1.97 €1.70

-18.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.32

$1.80 €1.55

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 SEK 22.12

$1.45 €1.25

62.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 SEK 10.10

$0.86 €0.74

25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.39 SEK 69.4

$6.78 €5.84

9.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.49 SEK 136

$7.90 €6.81

83.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 SEK 13.01

$1.39 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 SEK 8.62

$2.37 €2.04

-61.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 40.69

$2.92 €2.52

48.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 SEK 942

$28.69 €24.72

250.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 SEK 35.35

$4.46 €3.84

-15.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.91

$2.05 €1.77

-22.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.0 SEK 788

$29.55 €25.46

184.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.37

$1.82 €1.56

7.69%

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

$27.1K SEK 254.4K

$38.8K €33.5K

-30.17%

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

$30.3K SEK 284.5K

$33.1K €28.5K

-8.38%

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

$110 SEK 1,027

$189 €163

-42.12%

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

$28.64 SEK 269

$22.80 €19.65

25.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.82 SEK 383

$37.59 €32.39

8.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.14 SEK 433

$57.7 €49.75

-20.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.50 SEK 239

$20.74 €17.87

22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 SEK 141

$10.82 €9.33

39.09%

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

$157 SEK 1,475

$728 €628

-78.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,166 SEK 39.1K

$14.8K €12.7K

-71.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 SEK 901

$88.6 €76.4

8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 SEK 390

$36.85 €31.75

12.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 SEK 861

$102 €87.9

-10.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.5 SEK 502

$116 €100

-53.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 SEK 7,872

$1,569 €1,352

-46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 SEK 6,016

$1,218 €1,050

-47.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 SEK 12.9K

$2,795 €2,409

-50.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 SEK 9,947

$1,975 €1,702

-46.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,062 SEK 66.2K

$7,754 €6,680

-8.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,945 SEK 27.6K

$5,176 €4,460

-43.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,884 SEK 36.4K

$2,343 €2,019

65.74%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Solna and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solna pays 66% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $319, 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

Solna vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solna and Barcelona differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,747 vs $2,337 including rent). Solna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Solna pays 66% 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: $839 in Solna versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Solna versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,747 in Solna versus $2,337 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 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.