Cost of Living Comparison Between Sundsvall and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sundsvall and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,756 in Sundsvall versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Sundsvall versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,482 in Sundsvall versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Sundsvall costs roughly 24% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sundsvall 31% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.87 SEK 124

$17.66 €15.45

-27.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 SEK 824

$69.7 €61.0

22.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$14.16 €12.39

-26.41%

Cappuccino

$4.54 SEK 43.84

$2.80 €2.45

62.14%

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

$2.46 SEK 23.75

$2.81 €2.46

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.86

$2.06 €1.81

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 SEK 75.6

$4.60 €4.02

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 SEK 78.7

$4.69 €4.10

73.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 SEK 15.20

$1.23 €1.08

27.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 SEK 32.33

$2.03 €1.78

64.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 SEK 36.89

$1.98 €1.73

92.93%

Eggs

$3.73 SEK 36.03

$3.49 €3.05

6.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 SEK 98.0

$18.33 €16.04

-44.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 SEK 99.6

$9.83 €8.60

4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 SEK 178

$19.13 €16.73

-3.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.43

$2.73 €2.38

4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 23.60

$2.38 €2.09

2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.87

$2.08 €1.82

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 SEK 39.25

$2.75 €2.41

47.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.64

$1.96 €1.72

-22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 SEK 13.76

$1.79 €1.57

-20.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 SEK 18.16

$1.48 €1.29

27.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SEK 10.00

$0.91 €0.80

13.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.70 SEK 74.4

$7.13 €6.24

7.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 SEK 89.6

$7.88 €6.89

17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.90

$1.38 €1.21

18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.08

$2.39 €2.09

-34.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.47

$3.01 €2.63

11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 SEK 830

$29.35 €25.68

192.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 62.4

$4.36 €3.82

47.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SEK 11.82

$2.13 €1.86

-42.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 SEK 610

$29.60 €25.90

113.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.36

$1.82 €1.59

4.40%

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

$26.7K SEK 258.2K

$37.9K €33.1K

-29.49%

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

$26.9K SEK 260.4K

$32.4K €28.3K

-16.81%

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

$132 SEK 1,271

$189 €165

-30.43%

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

$29.93 SEK 289

$22.29 €19.50

34.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 SEK 249

$37.16 €32.51

-30.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 SEK 367

$58.0 €50.8

-34.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.04 SEK 252

$20.66 €18.08

26.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 SEK 143

$10.87 €9.51

35.69%

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

$145 SEK 1,402

$706 €618

-79.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,164 SEK 40.3K

$14.9K €13.0K

-71.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 SEK 909

$89.4 €78.3

5.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.77 SEK 297

$36.60 €32.02

-15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 SEK 749

$104 €91.0

-25.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SEK 1,264

$119 €104

9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 SEK 8,092

$1,579 €1,381

-46.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 SEK 6,131

$1,238 €1,083

-48.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 SEK 11.5K

$2,712 €2,373

-56.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 SEK 8,399

$2,039 €1,784

-57.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 SEK 23.8K

$7,527 €6,585

-67.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,293 SEK 12.5K

$5,239 €4,584

-75.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,018 SEK 29.2K

$2,364 €2,068

27.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.39

32.15%

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

Last update for Sundsvall: July 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $837 in Sundsvall and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Sundsvall vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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

Sundsvall vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sundsvall and Barcelona differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,756 vs $2,320 including rent). Sundsvall is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Sundsvall, 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: $837 in Sundsvall versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Sundsvall versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,756 in Sundsvall versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sundsvall but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Sundsvall 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, Sundsvall 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 Sundsvall gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.