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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,522 in Embrach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $5,426 in Embrach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $7,330 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 75% above, Embrach 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$30.83 CHF 24.38

-42.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$144 CHF 114

-52.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$18.23 CHF 14.42

-24.57%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$5.87 CHF 4.64

-52.98%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$5.28 CHF 4.17

-47.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$4.69 CHF 3.71

-56.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$8.48 CHF 6.71

-45.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$7.37 CHF 5.83

-37.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.26 CHF 1.79

-43.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.45 CHF 2.73

-38.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$4.08 CHF 3.22

-51.72%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$7.25 CHF 5.74

-52.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$29.48 CHF 23.32

-36.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$32.93 CHF 26.05

-71.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$48.04 CHF 38.00

-60.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.78 CHF 2.99

-28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.21 CHF 1.75

7.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.85 CHF 2.25

-27.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$6.17 CHF 4.88

-55.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.51 CHF 1.99

-21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.40 CHF 1.90

-25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.58 CHF 2.04

-41.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.33 CHF 1.05

-32.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$11.28 CHF 8.92

-40.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$14.05 CHF 11.11

-46.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.38 CHF 1.88

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.23 CHF 2.55

-25.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$4.00 CHF 3.16

-24.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$98.3 CHF 77.8

-71.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$7.74 CHF 6.12

-42.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$4.12 CHF 3.26

-50.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$80.3 CHF 63.5

-63.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-15.63%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

-3.99%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

-21.54%

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

$189 €161

$256 CHF 202

-26.29%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$47.83 CHF 37.84

-53.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$59.3 CHF 46.93

-37.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$87.4 CHF 69.1

-33.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$73.0 CHF 57.7

-71.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$22.74 CHF 17.99

-51.41%

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

$726 €622

$2,919 CHF 2,309

-75.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$35.4K CHF 28.0K

-56.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$136 CHF 108

-35.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$68.5 CHF 54.2

-46.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$151 CHF 119

-31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$185 CHF 146

-35.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$1,677 CHF 1,326

-8.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$1,444 CHF 1,142

-15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$2,876 CHF 2,275

-2.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$2,496 CHF 1,974

-18.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

-48.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$10.8K CHF 8,533

-55.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$6,959 CHF 5,504

-65.45%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Embrach: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,677 in Embrach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embrach pays 189% 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 $144 in Embrach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $659 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 50% in total monthly costs ($2,341 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 189% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,677 in Embrach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $2,919 in Embrach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Embrach. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,522 in Embrach, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Embrach. 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 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 50% less than in Embrach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.