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: $1,776 in Sundsvall versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,653 in Sundsvall versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Sundsvall versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sundsvall 33% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.51 SEK 118

$17.58 €15.14

-28.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 SEK 793

$68.4 €58.9

23.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 SEK 96.7

$14.06 €12.10

-26.74%

Cappuccino

$4.41 SEK 41.46

$2.78 €2.39

58.63%

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

$2.53 SEK 23.76

$2.80 €2.41

-9.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 19.72

$2.06 €1.78

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 SEK 69.9

$4.46 €3.84

66.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 SEK 76.0

$4.61 €3.97

75.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 SEK 14.86

$1.24 €1.07

27.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 SEK 31.07

$2.03 €1.75

63.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 35.14

$1.92 €1.65

94.79%

Eggs

$3.58 SEK 33.65

$3.31 €2.85

8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 SEK 95.9

$18.43 €15.87

-44.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 SEK 97.2

$9.49 €8.17

9.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 SEK 173

$19.16 €16.50

-3.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.22

$2.64 €2.27

9.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 22.88

$2.45 €2.11

-0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 SEK 24.91

$2.12 €1.83

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 SEK 38.09

$2.85 €2.45

42.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 13.76

$2.04 €1.75

-28.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 13.87

$1.85 €1.59

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 SEK 17.67

$1.47 €1.27

27.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 SEK 9.32

$0.84 €0.73

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 SEK 73.1

$7.14 €6.15

8.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 SEK 88.2

$7.88 €6.79

19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.39

$1.38 €1.19

18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.13

$2.31 €1.99

-35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.17

$2.98 €2.57

14.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 811

$29.26 €25.20

195.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 58.2

$4.60 €3.96

34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 SEK 11.58

$2.07 €1.78

-40.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.1 SEK 574

$29.18 €25.13

109.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 17.85

$1.84 €1.58

3.26%

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

$26.5K SEK 249.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-32.01%

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

$27.7K SEK 259.8K

$32.7K €28.2K

-15.42%

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

$131 SEK 1,235

$188 €162

-30.01%

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

$30.18 SEK 283

$22.93 €19.75

31.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.01 SEK 244

$36.71 €31.61

-29.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 SEK 362

$57.4 €49.41

-32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 SEK 244

$20.70 €17.82

25.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.47 SEK 136

$11.19 €9.64

29.31%

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

$144 SEK 1,353

$721 €621

-80.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,148 SEK 39.0K

$15.0K €13.0K

-72.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 SEK 879

$86.2 €74.2

8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 SEK 282

$37.07 €31.92

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 SEK 711

$102 €87.9

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 SEK 1,239

$116 €99.8

13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 SEK 7,776

$1,534 €1,321

-46.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SEK 5,872

$1,220 €1,051

-48.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 SEK 11.2K

$2,696 €2,321

-55.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 SEK 8,361

$2,013 €1,734

-55.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 SEK 24.4K

$7,220 €6,217

-64.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,350 SEK 12.7K

$5,189 €4,468

-73.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,231 SEK 30.4K

$2,359 €2,032

36.97%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Sundsvall and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Sundsvall vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $318 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,776 vs $2,367 including rent). Sundsvall is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sundsvall pays 37% 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: $828 in Sundsvall versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Sundsvall versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,776 in Sundsvall versus $2,367 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 33% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.