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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,371 in Glarus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $5,198 in Glarus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $7,024 in Glarus.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 31% less than in Glarus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Glarus 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$30.97 CHF 25.09

-42.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$141 CHF 114

-50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$15.91 CHF 12.89

-11.00%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$5.79 CHF 4.69

-51.64%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$5.42 CHF 4.39

-48.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$4.25 CHF 3.45

-51.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.35 CHF 5.95

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.33 CHF 5.94

-36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.95 CHF 1.58

-36.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.85 CHF 2.30

-28.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-10.41%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$7.98 CHF 6.46

-56.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$30.67 CHF 24.84

-40.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$35.89 CHF 29.07

-72.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$51.3 CHF 41.59

-62.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.79 CHF 3.07

-27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.31 CHF 1.87

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.87 CHF 2.33

-27.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$6.16 CHF 4.99

-55.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.38 CHF 1.93

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.47 CHF 2.00

-27.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.58 CHF 2.09

-42.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.22 CHF 0.98

-25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$11.02 CHF 8.93

-35.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.25 CHF 9.11

-29.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.42 CHF 1.96

-42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.48 CHF 2.82

-31.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$6.01 CHF 4.87

-49.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$112 CHF 90.4

-73.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$7.92 CHF 6.42

-44.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.13 CHF 3.34

-48.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$87.1 CHF 70.6

-66.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.14 CHF 1.73

-14.95%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$35.3K CHF 28.6K

7.40%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$38.7K CHF 31.4K

-16.43%

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

$189 €166

$224 CHF 182

-15.75%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$74.4 CHF 60.2

-70.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$48.66 CHF 39.41

-23.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$91.4 CHF 74.0

-36.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$43.27 CHF 35.05

-52.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$20.61 CHF 16.69

-47.26%

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

$706 €618

$2,895 CHF 2,345

-75.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$42.3K CHF 34.3K

-64.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$139 CHF 113

-35.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$75.7 CHF 61.3

-51.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$134 CHF 108

-22.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$159 CHF 129

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$1,668 CHF 1,351

-5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$1,319 CHF 1,069

-6.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$2,892 CHF 2,343

-6.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$2,374 CHF 1,923

-14.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$14.1K CHF 11.4K

-46.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$10.7K CHF 8,703

-51.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

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 13, 2026

Last update for Glarus: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,668 in Glarus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $141 in Glarus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $668 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 45% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $3,371 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $5,056 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,668 in Glarus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $2,895 in Glarus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Glarus. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,371 in Glarus, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Glarus. 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 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 45% less than in Glarus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.