Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $7,198 in Cham.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 31% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Cham 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$31.40 CHF 25.63

-41.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$126 CHF 103

-44.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$18.26 CHF 14.91

-23.06%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$6.05 CHF 4.94

-48.60%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-47.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$4.79 CHF 3.91

-59.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$8.40 CHF 6.86

-52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$6.82 CHF 5.57

-32.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-47.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-52.22%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$7.36 CHF 6.01

-29.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-37.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$27.68 CHF 22.59

-65.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$43.42 CHF 35.44

-54.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$4.12 CHF 3.36

-23.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.30 CHF 2.70

-20.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-39.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-7.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-36.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.20 CHF 0.98

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$11.20 CHF 9.14

-35.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$13.61 CHF 11.11

-38.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-47.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$5.00 CHF 4.08

-37.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$152 CHF 124

-82.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$5.61 CHF 4.58

-42.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.47 CHF 2.83

-56.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$61.9 CHF 50.5

-43.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-23.25%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

-9.81%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-20.69%

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

$187 €161

$288 CHF 235

-34.99%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$32.30 CHF 26.36

-53.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$57.2 CHF 46.65

-34.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-39.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$42.34 CHF 34.56

-60.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$25.03 CHF 20.43

-53.22%

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

$1,011 €871

$1,818 CHF 1,484

-44.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-49.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$148 CHF 121

-38.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$60.7 CHF 49.56

-32.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$167 CHF 136

-33.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$261 CHF 213

-51.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,732 CHF 1,413

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,469 CHF 1,199

-11.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,875 CHF 2,346

-9.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$2,682 CHF 2,189

-28.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

-56.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

-60.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.07

52.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $126 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $616 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 Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cham differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $3,622 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $5,434 in Cham 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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 Cham 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 46% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.