Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Embrach Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Embrach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $3,522 in Embrach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $5,432 in Embrach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $7,342 in Embrach.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 34% less than in Embrach, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Embrach 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$30.38 CHF 24.12

-43.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$143 CHF 113

-51.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$18.40 CHF 14.61

-25.11%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$6.17 CHF 4.90

-55.27%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$5.16 CHF 4.10

-45.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.72 CHF 3.75

-57.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$8.23 CHF 6.53

-47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.49 CHF 5.95

-36.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.26 CHF 1.79

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.42 CHF 2.72

-40.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.21 CHF 3.34

-52.73%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$7.33 CHF 5.82

-53.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$29.19 CHF 23.17

-35.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$33.88 CHF 26.90

-72.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$48.59 CHF 38.58

-60.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.63 CHF 2.88

-25.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.23 CHF 1.77

4.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.02 CHF 2.40

-29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$6.28 CHF 4.98

-54.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.52 CHF 2.00

-21.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.35 CHF 1.87

-23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.60 CHF 2.07

-44.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.37 CHF 1.09

-37.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$11.11 CHF 8.82

-38.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$13.90 CHF 11.03

-43.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.33 CHF 1.85

-40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.33 CHF 2.64

-28.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$4.00 CHF 3.17

-27.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$98.6 CHF 78.3

-70.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.97 CHF 6.33

-44.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$4.27 CHF 3.39

-51.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$80.7 CHF 64.1

-63.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.20 CHF 1.75

-17.27%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$40.2K CHF 31.9K

-3.40%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$42.1K CHF 33.5K

-21.46%

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

$189 €163

$262 CHF 208

-27.67%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$49.37 CHF 39.20

-53.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$59.0 CHF 46.80

-36.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$89.0 CHF 70.6

-35.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$75.2 CHF 59.7

-72.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$22.42 CHF 17.80

-51.74%

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

$728 €628

$2,932 CHF 2,327

-75.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$34.4K CHF 27.3K

-57.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$138 CHF 110

-35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$68.2 CHF 54.2

-45.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$148 CHF 118

-31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$191 CHF 152

-39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,683 CHF 1,336

-6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$1,484 CHF 1,178

-17.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$2,845 CHF 2,259

-1.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$2,462 CHF 1,955

-19.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$16.5K CHF 13.1K

-53.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$11.7K CHF 9,327

-55.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$6,817 CHF 5,412

-65.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.5

35.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Embrach: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,683 in Embrach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embrach pays 191% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $143 in Embrach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $666 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 Embrach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Embrach differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $3,522 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Embrach earns 191% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,683 in Embrach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $2,932 in Embrach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Embrach. 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 Embrach 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 51% less than in Embrach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.