Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Glarus Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Glarus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,279 in Glarus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $5,259 in Glarus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $7,238 in Glarus.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 28% less than in Glarus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Glarus 145% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$30.52 CHF 24.07

-42.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$140 CHF 111

-51.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$16.28 CHF 12.84

-13.64%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.87 CHF 4.63

-52.64%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$5.16 CHF 4.07

-45.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$4.41 CHF 3.48

-53.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.35 CHF 5.79

-39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$7.23 CHF 5.70

-36.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.00 CHF 1.58

-38.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.76 CHF 2.18

-26.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.21 CHF 1.74

-13.12%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$7.98 CHF 6.29

-58.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$30.90 CHF 24.36

-40.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$35.70 CHF 28.14

-73.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$50.4 CHF 39.71

-61.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.68 CHF 2.90

-28.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.32 CHF 1.83

5.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.87 CHF 2.26

-26.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.36 CHF 5.01

-55.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.46 CHF 1.94

-17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.41 CHF 1.90

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.67 CHF 2.10

-44.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.22 CHF 0.96

-31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$11.14 CHF 8.78

-35.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$13.81 CHF 10.89

-42.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.40 CHF 1.89

-42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.31 CHF 2.61

-30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$6.01 CHF 4.74

-50.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$110 CHF 86.8

-73.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$8.28 CHF 6.52

-44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$4.29 CHF 3.38

-51.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$88.5 CHF 69.8

-67.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.05 CHF 1.61

-10.24%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.1K CHF 27.7K

11.07%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

-16.85%

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

$188 €162

$225 CHF 177

-16.40%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$72.9 CHF 57.5

-68.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$49.82 CHF 39.28

-26.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$92.6 CHF 73.0

-38.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$43.93 CHF 34.64

-52.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$19.94 CHF 15.72

-43.88%

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

$721 €620

$2,938 CHF 2,317

-75.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$43.2K CHF 34.1K

-65.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$140 CHF 111

-38.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$78.3 CHF 61.7

-52.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$134 CHF 106

-23.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$157 CHF 124

-26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,631 CHF 1,286

-5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,328 CHF 1,047

-8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,844 CHF 2,242

-5.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$2,349 CHF 1,852

-14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$13.9K CHF 11.0K

-48.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$11.4K CHF 9,002

-54.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Glarus: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,631 in Glarus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $140 in Glarus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $670 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 Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Glarus differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $3,279 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $4,919 in Glarus 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,631 in Glarus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $2,938 in Glarus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Glarus. 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 Glarus 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 39% less than in Glarus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.