Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,999 in Uppsala versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,014 in Uppsala versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,028 in Uppsala versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Uppsala costs roughly 16% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uppsala 49% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 SEK 148

$17.58 €15.14

-10.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 SEK 656

$68.4 €58.9

2.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 SEK 107

$14.06 €12.10

-18.92%

Cappuccino

$5.00 SEK 47.00

$2.78 €2.39

79.86%

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

$2.67 SEK 25.05

$2.80 €2.41

-4.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.56

$2.06 €1.78

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 SEK 78.8

$4.46 €3.84

88.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.66 SEK 81.4

$4.61 €3.97

87.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 15.33

$1.24 €1.07

31.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 SEK 25.83

$2.03 €1.75

35.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 SEK 42.59

$1.92 €1.65

135.94%

Eggs

$5.10 SEK 47.92

$3.31 €2.85

54.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 112

$18.43 €15.87

-35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 131

$9.49 €8.17

47.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 SEK 158

$19.16 €16.50

-12.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 35.09

$2.64 €2.27

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 SEK 26.21

$2.45 €2.11

13.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 SEK 33.51

$2.12 €1.83

68.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 SEK 48.69

$2.85 €2.45

81.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.82

$2.04 €1.75

-22.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 16.81

$1.85 €1.59

-3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.72

$1.47 €1.27

78.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 SEK 12.41

$0.84 €0.73

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 SEK 76.4

$7.14 €6.15

14.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 SEK 102

$7.88 €6.79

37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 22.62

$1.38 €1.19

74.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 SEK 24.13

$2.31 €1.99

11.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 SEK 37.63

$2.98 €2.57

34.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 SEK 1,023

$29.26 €25.20

272.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 SEK 53.4

$4.60 €3.96

23.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 SEK 11.17

$2.07 €1.78

-42.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.5 SEK 597

$29.18 €25.13

117.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 SEK 18.84

$1.84 €1.58

9.24%

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

$33.2K SEK 311.7K

$39.0K €33.6K

-14.95%

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

$33.8K SEK 317.6K

$32.7K €28.2K

3.40%

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

$111 SEK 1,040

$188 €162

-41.03%

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

$29.67 SEK 279

$22.93 €19.75

29.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.81 SEK 412

$36.71 €31.61

19.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 SEK 358

$57.4 €49.41

-33.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.06 SEK 264

$20.70 €17.82

35.56%

Cinema Ticket

$19.76 SEK 186

$11.19 €9.64

76.59%

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

$149 SEK 1,400

$721 €621

-79.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,570 SEK 52.3K

$15.0K €13.0K

-62.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 833

$86.2 €74.2

2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 SEK 394

$37.07 €31.92

13.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 SEK 927

$102 €87.9

-3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,471

$116 €99.8

35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 SEK 8,862

$1,534 €1,321

-38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 SEK 7,087

$1,220 €1,051

-38.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 SEK 14.1K

$2,696 €2,321

-44.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 SEK 10.1K

$2,013 €1,734

-46.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,511 SEK 51.8K

$7,220 €6,217

-23.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,972 SEK 27.9K

$5,189 €4,468

-42.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,097 SEK 29.1K

$2,359 €2,032

31.25%

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 Uppsala: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $943 in Uppsala and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uppsala 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: $70.0 in Uppsala vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 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

Uppsala vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uppsala and Barcelona differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,999 vs $2,367 including rent). Uppsala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Uppsala pays 31% 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: $943 in Uppsala versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in Uppsala 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 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,999 in Uppsala versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Uppsala but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Uppsala 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, Uppsala 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 Uppsala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.