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: $1,807 in Sundsvall versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,745 in Sundsvall versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,684 in Sundsvall versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Sundsvall costs roughly 28% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sundsvall 31% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.45 SEK 147

$18.39 €15.81

-15.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 SEK 784

$69.2 €59.5

18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 SEK 109

$14.13 €12.15

-18.83%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.38

$3.13 €2.69

55.27%

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

$2.51 SEK 23.94

$3.02 €2.59

-16.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 18.85

$1.96 €1.69

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.83 SEK 84.2

$4.00 €3.44

120.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 SEK 74.8

$4.76 €4.09

64.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 SEK 14.86

$1.25 €1.07

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 SEK 29.31

$2.16 €1.86

42.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 SEK 35.19

$1.69 €1.45

118.34%

Eggs

$3.52 SEK 33.61

$4.93 €4.24

-28.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 SEK 95.7

$17.88 €15.37

-43.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 SEK 96.5

$9.61 €8.26

5.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.16 SEK 173

$19.34 €16.63

-6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 26.19

$3.24 €2.78

-15.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 SEK 23.11

$2.18 €1.87

11.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 24.90

$2.67 €2.30

-2.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 SEK 39.35

$2.77 €2.38

49.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 14.58

$2.21 €1.90

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 SEK 13.44

$2.19 €1.88

-35.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 SEK 17.57

$1.52 €1.31

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 SEK 9.30

$0.92 €0.79

6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 SEK 74.1

$7.12 €6.12

9.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 SEK 90.5

$8.14 €6.99

16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 16.59

$1.50 €1.29

16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 SEK 13.62

$2.78 €2.39

-48.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 SEK 33.45

$3.15 €2.71

11.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 SEK 865

$26.99 €23.21

235.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 SEK 59.2

$3.25 €2.79

91.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$6.41 SEK 61.1

$1.50 €1.29

327.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 SEK 17.60

$1.75 €1.50

5.71%

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

$32.2K SEK 307.0K

$36.7K €31.5K

-12.16%

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

$32.5K SEK 309.4K

$30.9K €26.6K

4.90%

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

$102 SEK 976

$188 €161

-45.47%

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

$29.85 SEK 285

$15.44 €13.27

93.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.63 SEK 302

$37.80 €32.49

-16.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 SEK 399

$57.2 €49.16

-26.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 SEK 121

$16.80 €14.44

-24.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 SEK 137

$11.58 €9.95

23.75%

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

$145 SEK 1,384

$1,003 €862

-85.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 SEK 876

$89.2 €76.7

2.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.13 SEK 278

$40.87 €35.14

-28.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 SEK 749

$110 €94.5

-28.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 SEK 1,320

$123 €105

12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$701 SEK 6,682

$1,673 €1,438

-58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 SEK 6,020

$1,331 €1,145

-52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 SEK 11.7K

$2,596 €2,232

-52.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 SEK 8,833

$1,950 €1,676

-52.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,516 SEK 24.0K

$7,573 €6,511

-66.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 SEK 12.9K

$5,370 €4,617

-74.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,141 SEK 29.9K

$2,402 €2,065

30.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

3.16

22.78%

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

Last update for Sundsvall: September 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $701 in Sundsvall and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Sundsvall vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $332, with Sundsvall 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

Sundsvall vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sundsvall and Barcelona differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,807 vs $2,495 including rent). Sundsvall is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $701 in Sundsvall versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Sundsvall versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,807 in Sundsvall versus $2,495 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 38% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.