Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Balzers Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Balzers

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,293 in Balzers.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $5,044 in Balzers.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $6,795 in Balzers.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 28% less than in Balzers, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Balzers 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$30.54 CHF 24.08

-42.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$123 CHF 97.4

-44.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$22.09 CHF 17.41

-36.35%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.64 CHF 4.45

-50.71%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$6.20 CHF 4.89

-54.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$5.68 CHF 4.48

-63.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.54 CHF 5.95

-40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$7.43 CHF 5.86

-37.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.68 CHF 2.11

-53.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.11 CHF 2.45

-34.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.90 CHF 2.29

-33.79%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$11.92 CHF 9.40

-72.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$25.58 CHF 20.16

-27.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$23.63 CHF 18.63

-59.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$51.8 CHF 40.86

-63.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.39 CHF 2.68

-22.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.81 CHF 3.00

-35.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.98 CHF 3.14

-46.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.57 CHF 2.03

10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.40 CHF 1.89

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.11 CHF 1.66

-12.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.20 CHF 1.74

-33.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.63 CHF 1.29

-48.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$12.45 CHF 9.81

-42.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$14.26 CHF 11.24

-44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.06 CHF 1.62

-33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.82 CHF 1.44

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.56 CHF 2.81

-16.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$84.6 CHF 66.7

-65.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.82 CHF 1.44

152.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$8.60 CHF 6.78

239.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-15.98%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.5K CHF 27.2K

13.17%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.8K CHF 26.7K

-3.36%

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

$188 €162

$217 CHF 171

-13.40%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$39.34 CHF 31.02

-41.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$74.5 CHF 58.7

-50.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$94.7 CHF 74.7

-39.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$24.35 CHF 19.20

-14.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$24.22 CHF 19.10

-53.80%

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

$721 €620

$313 CHF 247

130.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$8,918 CHF 7,031

68.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$129 CHF 102

-33.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$52.1 CHF 41.06

-28.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$177 CHF 140

-42.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$225 CHF 177

-48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,005 CHF 792

52.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,335 CHF 1,052

-8.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,931 CHF 2,311

-8.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$2,370 CHF 1,869

-15.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$17.6K CHF 13.9K

-59.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$5,368 CHF 4,232

-3.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$9,082 CHF 7,161

-74.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.55

-55.10%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Balzers: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,005 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 285% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $123 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $618 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

Barcelona vs Balzers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Balzers earns 285% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,005 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% 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 $68.0 versus $123 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Barcelona is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Balzers 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 39% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.