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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,481 in Embrach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $5,353 in Embrach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $7,224 in Embrach.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 32% less than in Embrach, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Embrach 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$31.05 CHF 25.06

-44.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$142 CHF 114

-51.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$18.13 CHF 14.63

-24.77%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$6.16 CHF 4.97

-54.87%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$5.38 CHF 4.34

-47.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$4.89 CHF 3.94

-59.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$8.25 CHF 6.66

-46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$7.61 CHF 6.14

-39.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.14 CHF 1.73

-40.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.57 CHF 2.88

-40.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$4.12 CHF 3.32

-51.70%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$7.18 CHF 5.80

-53.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$29.24 CHF 23.60

-35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$33.74 CHF 27.23

-71.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$47.48 CHF 38.32

-60.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.79 CHF 3.06

-30.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.32 CHF 1.87

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.96 CHF 2.39

-29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$6.20 CHF 5.00

-55.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.47 CHF 1.99

-20.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.41 CHF 1.95

-24.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.53 CHF 2.04

-40.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.38 CHF 1.11

-35.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$11.10 CHF 8.96

-38.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$13.21 CHF 10.66

-40.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.47 CHF 1.99

-44.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.30 CHF 2.66

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$3.94 CHF 3.18

-26.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$98.9 CHF 79.8

-71.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$8.05 CHF 6.50

-43.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$4.10 CHF 3.31

-50.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$80.4 CHF 64.9

-64.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-18.75%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$40.2K CHF 32.4K

-2.20%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$41.0K CHF 33.1K

-20.83%

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

$187 €162

$257 CHF 207

-27.40%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$48.00 CHF 38.74

-53.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$58.3 CHF 47.06

-37.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$86.3 CHF 69.6

-33.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$46.70 CHF 37.69

-55.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$22.97 CHF 18.54

-53.11%

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

$725 €628

$2,845 CHF 2,296

-74.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$34.8K CHF 28.1K

-56.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$136 CHF 110

-35.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$68.9 CHF 55.6

-46.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$151 CHF 122

-31.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$185 CHF 149

-35.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,703 CHF 1,374

-10.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$1,450 CHF 1,170

-15.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,781 CHF 2,244

-1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$2,462 CHF 1,987

-19.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$14.8K CHF 11.9K

-49.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$12.4K CHF 10,000

-57.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$6,794 CHF 5,483

-64.78%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Embrach: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,703 in Embrach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embrach pays 184% 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 $142 in Embrach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $661 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 48% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $3,481 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 184% lower in Embrach. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,703 in Embrach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $2,845 in Embrach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Embrach. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,481 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 48% less than in Embrach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.