Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Balzers

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,201 in Balzers, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. The total is higher in Balzers despite lower rent and utilities.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Balzers
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Balzers Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Balzers

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Balzers

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Balzers actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,201 in Balzers.

Barcelona $2,453
Balzers $3,201

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $5,015 in Balzers.

Barcelona $3,509
Balzers $5,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $6,828 in Balzers.

Barcelona $4,564
Balzers $6,828

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 23% less than in Balzers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Balzers 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.76

$29.80 CHF 24.67

-40.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$122 CHF 101

-44.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$21.58 CHF 17.87

-37.30%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$5.38 CHF 4.45

-40.71%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$5.97 CHF 4.95

-51.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$5.45 CHF 4.52

-65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$7.16 CHF 5.93

-43.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$7.46 CHF 6.18

-39.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$2.74 CHF 2.27

-52.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.94 CHF 2.43

-31.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.80 CHF 2.31

-33.93%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$11.95 CHF 9.89

-59.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €15.00

$25.34 CHF 20.98

-33.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$23.48 CHF 19.44

-61.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.60

$50.6 CHF 41.90

-61.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$3.41 CHF 2.82

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$3.64 CHF 3.02

-44.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$4.08 CHF 3.38

-33.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$2.59 CHF 2.15

8.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.35 CHF 1.95

-11.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.66 CHF 1.38

-43.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.16

$12.08 CHF 10.00

-43.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.07

$13.81 CHF 11.43

-42.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.02 CHF 1.67

-30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$1.71 CHF 1.41

48.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$3.51 CHF 2.90

-10.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.80

$81.1 CHF 67.2

-68.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$1.74 CHF 1.44

71.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$5.90 CHF 4.88

-74.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.91

$8.36 CHF 6.92

299.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-19.64%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$34.1K CHF 28.2K

-2.62%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$32.4K CHF 26.8K

-2.14%

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

$180 €162

$212 CHF 175

-14.79%

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

$13.84 €12.40

$40.00 CHF 33.12

-65.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.20

$71.4 CHF 59.1

-52.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.16

$91.1 CHF 75.4

-43.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.30

$24.38 CHF 20.18

-34.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$24.13 CHF 19.98

-54.46%

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

$917 €821

$298 CHF 247

207.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$8,878 CHF 7,350

85.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €78.0

$127 CHF 106

-31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.51

$50.4 CHF 41.72

-23.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$174 CHF 144

-39.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$218 CHF 180

-45.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,523

$987 CHF 817

72.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$1,282 CHF 1,062

5.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,332

$2,864 CHF 2,371

-9.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,848

$2,315 CHF 1,916

-10.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,196

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-57.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,595

$5,142 CHF 4,257

-0.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,981

$8,481 CHF 7,021

-73.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

7.55

-56.56%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balzers: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Balzers

$1.3K 40.1% 5.4% $73

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Balzers

$610 19.1% 89.5% $288

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Balzers

$464 14.5% 73.2% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Balzers

$323 10.1% 41.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Balzers

$256 8% 62.2% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Balzers

$139 4.4% 89.6% $66

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Balzers

$126 4% 161% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $987 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $122 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $610 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇱🇮 Balzers

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

4,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Barcelona Balzers 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Barcelona vs Balzers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Barcelona. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $987 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Balzers. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $122 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,201 in Balzers, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Balzers. 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, Barcelona and Balzers are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelona wins on affordability, Balzers on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.