Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaxjo and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaxjo and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,695 in Vaxjo versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in Vaxjo versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Vaxjo versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Vaxjo costs roughly 32% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vaxjo 24% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.66 SEK 135

$18.74 €16.33

-27.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 SEK 644

$69.5 €60.6

-5.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 SEK 101

$13.77 €12.00

-25.20%

Cappuccino

$4.09 SEK 40.31

$3.10 €2.70

31.94%

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

$1.55 SEK 15.24

$2.83 €2.47

-45.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 SEK 13.62

$1.88 €1.64

-26.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 SEK 71.4

$3.98 €3.47

82.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 SEK 66.7

$4.53 €3.95

49.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.82

$1.27 €1.11

42.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SEK 24.36

$2.16 €1.88

14.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 40.09

$1.76 €1.53

131.25%

Eggs

$4.69 SEK 46.21

$5.13 €4.47

-8.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 SEK 134

$17.88 €15.59

-24.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 SEK 107

$9.65 €8.41

12.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 SEK 120

$20.15 €17.56

-39.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 31.28

$3.25 €2.84

-2.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 SEK 20.74

$2.23 €1.94

-5.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 SEK 20.66

$2.60 €2.27

-19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 SEK 45.89

$2.76 €2.40

68.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 14.38

$2.21 €1.93

-33.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 16.04

$2.12 €1.85

-23.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 SEK 23.44

$1.55 €1.35

53.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 SEK 13.92

$0.95 €0.83

48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.35 SEK 72.4

$7.34 €6.40

0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 SEK 77.4

$8.05 €7.01

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 19.88

$1.54 €1.35

31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SEK 16.56

$2.79 €2.43

-39.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 SEK 30.58

$3.11 €2.71

-0.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 SEK 646

$25.86 €22.54

153.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.12 SEK 80.0

$3.27 €2.85

148.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 SEK 20.42

$1.48 €1.29

39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.2 SEK 820

$34.27 €29.88

142.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.70

$1.73 €1.51

4.05%

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

$34.4K SEK 339.3K

$36.4K €31.7K

-5.32%

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

$33.5K SEK 330.1K

$30.5K €26.6K

9.66%

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

$92.2 SEK 909

$187 €163

-50.71%

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

$31.17 SEK 307

$15.14 €13.20

105.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.30 SEK 308

$37.69 €32.85

-16.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 SEK 349

$55.9 €48.76

-36.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 SEK 199

$17.08 €14.89

18.33%

Cinema Ticket

$16.47 SEK 162

$11.41 €9.95

44.35%

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

$155 SEK 1,530

$997 €869

-84.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 998

$92.6 €80.8

9.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.63 SEK 302

$41.22 €35.93

-25.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 SEK 702

$111 €96.9

-35.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 SEK 872

$125 €109

-29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 SEK 8,075

$1,707 €1,488

-52.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 SEK 6,464

$1,286 €1,121

-48.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 SEK 15.1K

$2,565 €2,236

-40.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 SEK 9,527

$1,942 €1,693

-50.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,500 SEK 24.6K

$5,167 €4,504

-51.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 SEK 32.1K

$2,348 €2,047

38.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.16

1.27%

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

Last update for Vaxjo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $819 in Vaxjo and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaxjo pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Vaxjo vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $336 per month, with Vaxjo 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

Vaxjo vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vaxjo and Barcelona differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,695 vs $2,476 including rent). Vaxjo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Vaxjo, 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: $819 in Vaxjo versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Vaxjo versus $997 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 $1,695 in Vaxjo versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vaxjo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Vaxjo 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, Vaxjo 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 Vaxjo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.