Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fribourg

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,399 a month against $3,310 in Fribourg, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Fribourg
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Fribourg Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Fribourg

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Fribourg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Fribourg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $3,310 in Fribourg.

Barcelona $2,399
Fribourg $3,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,410 in Barcelona versus $4,866 in Fribourg.

Barcelona $3,410
Fribourg $4,866

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,421 in Barcelona versus $6,423 in Fribourg.

Barcelona $4,421
Fribourg $6,423

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 28% less than in Fribourg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Fribourg 145% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 €15.96

$30.10 CHF 24.79

-40.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €60.5

$118 CHF 97.0

-42.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$15.27 CHF 12.58

-13.03%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.89

$6.14 CHF 5.06

-47.07%

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

$3.01 €2.67

$4.89 CHF 4.03

-38.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.66

$5.12 CHF 4.22

-63.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.42

$7.18 CHF 5.91

-46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-30.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-39.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$3.15 CHF 2.59

-35.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-51.00%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.24

$7.23 CHF 5.96

-34.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$23.79 CHF 19.60

-29.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$24.77 CHF 20.40

-63.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$36.43 CHF 30.01

-45.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.52 CHF 2.90

-15.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.68 CHF 1.39

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.46 CHF 2.03

10.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-39.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.78 CHF 1.47

17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.07 CHF 1.70

0.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-35.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$1.23 CHF 1.01

-27.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €6.17

$10.98 CHF 9.04

-36.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$10.20 CHF 8.40

-23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$3.45 CHF 2.84

-57.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.33 CHF 1.92

10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.66

$3.57 CHF 2.94

-16.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.20 €22.41

$85.7 CHF 70.6

-70.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.77

$9.84 CHF 8.10

-68.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-64.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.50 €29.80

$72.4 CHF 59.7

-53.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-20.80%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

-16.95%

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

$30.1K €26.7K

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

-22.55%

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

$178 €158

$336 CHF 277

-47.11%

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

$13.32 €11.85

$40.26 CHF 33.16

-66.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.88 €31.03

$56.2 CHF 46.31

-37.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 €47.37

$58.8 CHF 48.39

-9.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 €14.24

$29.82 CHF 24.56

-46.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.84

$21.24 CHF 17.50

-47.93%

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

$957 €851

$1,762 CHF 1,451

-45.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.7K

$35.9K CHF 29.5K

-53.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.4

$101 CHF 83.0

-12.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 €35.12

$57.0 CHF 46.97

-30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.5

$159 CHF 131

-35.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$189 CHF 156

-35.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,470

$1,570 CHF 1,293

5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,158

$1,434 CHF 1,181

-9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 €2,275

$2,450 CHF 2,018

4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,703

$2,176 CHF 1,792

-12.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,286 €6,481

$20.6K CHF 16.9K

-64.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,080 €4,519

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

-63.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 €2,029

$6,808 CHF 5,607

-66.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

2.31

41.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fribourg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3%

Fribourg

$1.4K 43.3% 10.1% $132

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$320 13.3%

Fribourg

$536 16.2% 67.3% $216

Eating Out

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Fribourg

$449 13.6% 66.3% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$226 9.4%

Fribourg

$433 13.1% 91.4% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Fribourg

$228 6.9% 43.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$75 3.1%

Fribourg

$101 3.1% 34.3% $26

Getting Around

Barcelona

$47 2%

Fribourg

$130 3.9% 174% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Barcelona and $1,570 in Fribourg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fribourg pays 199% 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 $118 in Fribourg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $536 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇨🇭 Fribourg

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

37,485

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Fribourg 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Fribourg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Fribourg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fribourg differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $3,310 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 199% lower in Fribourg. 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: $1,653 in Barcelona versus $1,570 in Fribourg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $957 in Barcelona versus $1,762 in Fribourg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Fribourg. 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 Fribourg 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 38% less than in Fribourg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.