Cost of Living Comparison Between Swords and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Swords and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,528 in Swords versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Swords versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,869 in Swords versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Swords is roughly 7% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swords 90% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 €16.09

$17.15 €15.06

6.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €82.3

$68.1 €59.8

37.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 €9.20

$13.64 €11.98

-23.24%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.84

$2.78 €2.44

57.19%

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

$2.40 €2.10

$2.82 €2.48

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.96 €1.72

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.21

$4.43 €3.89

59.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.73

$4.61 €4.04

41.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.27 €1.12

14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.95

$2.13 €1.87

4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.99 €1.74

5.53%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.60

$3.37 €2.96

21.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 €10.01

$18.96 €16.65

-39.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 €9.29

$9.53 €8.37

11.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 €10.25

$18.73 €16.45

-37.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.56

$2.65 €2.33

9.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.35 €2.06

-12.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.42

$2.09 €1.83

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.06

$2.73 €2.40

27.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.96 €1.72

-26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.81 €1.59

-18.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.19

$1.51 €1.32

-10.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.42

$0.89 €0.78

80.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 €17.20

$6.78 €5.95

188.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 €12.06

$7.92 €6.95

73.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.23

$1.37 €1.20

167.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.47

$2.40 €2.11

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 €2.12

$2.91 €2.55

-17.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 €85.7

$28.66 €25.16

240.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.83 €4.24

$4.58 €4.02

5.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.04 €1.79

0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.87 €34.12

$28.72 €25.21

35.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.82 €1.60

13.19%

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

$42.4K €37.2K

$39.3K €34.5K

7.80%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$32.5K €28.5K

20.37%

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

$282 €248

$187 €164

51.22%

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

$23.10 €20.28

$22.29 €19.57

3.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 €47.79

$36.37 €31.93

49.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 €35.84

$57.5 €50.5

-29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.21

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 €12.04

$10.77 €9.46

27.30%

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

$1,041 €914

$725 €636

43.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,058 €7,075

$15.2K €13.3K

-46.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €78.1

$87.9 €77.1

1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €34.85

$36.81 €32.32

7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €87.2

$103 €90.8

-3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €95.1

$119 €104

-8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 €1,312

$1,524 €1,338

-1.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,081

$1,227 €1,077

0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 €2,127

$2,727 €2,395

-11.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,693

$1,984 €1,742

-2.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,920 €3,441

$7,469 €6,557

-47.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,852 €4,260

$5,243 €4,604

-7.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,101

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.39

19.17%

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

Last update for Swords: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,494 in Swords and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Swords vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $319 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

Swords vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swords and Barcelona differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,528 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,792 in Swords and $3,539 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,494 in Swords versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,041 in Swords versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Swords. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,528 in Swords, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Swords. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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, Swords 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Swords. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.