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: $2,441 in Barcelona versus $3,277 in Glarus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $5,033 in Glarus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,513 in Barcelona versus $6,789 in Glarus.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 26% less than in Glarus, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Glarus 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 €16.30

$28.77 CHF 23.84

-36.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.4

$121 CHF 100

-44.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €12.21

$17.75 CHF 14.70

-22.54%

Cappuccino

$3.17 €2.81

$5.86 CHF 4.86

-45.90%

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

$2.88 €2.55

$3.73 CHF 3.09

-22.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$3.85 CHF 3.19

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.45

$8.88 CHF 7.36

-56.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.99

$6.24 CHF 5.17

-27.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-39.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.84

$3.04 CHF 2.52

-31.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$2.81 CHF 2.33

-36.30%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.48

$7.52 CHF 6.23

-32.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 €15.36

$8.23 CHF 6.82

110.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.36

$14.54 CHF 12.04

-35.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 €17.23

$38.58 CHF 31.96

-49.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.82

$3.01 CHF 2.49

5.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.59 CHF 1.32

31.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.33 CHF 1.93

13.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$5.47 CHF 4.53

-48.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.72 CHF 1.43

27.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.10 CHF 1.74

1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-27.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.19 CHF 0.99

-21.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 €6.44

$10.94 CHF 9.06

-33.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.11

$11.08 CHF 9.18

-27.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-30.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.46

$2.27 CHF 1.88

22.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.61

$5.90 CHF 4.89

-50.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.07

$226 CHF 188

-88.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.72

$6.59 CHF 5.46

-53.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.34

$4.67 CHF 3.87

-67.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 €30.28

$78.1 CHF 64.7

-56.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.08 CHF 1.72

-17.79%

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

$36.3K €32.2K

$34.7K CHF 28.7K

4.55%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$38.4K CHF 31.8K

-20.16%

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

$183 €163

$308 CHF 255

-40.40%

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

$14.76 €13.11

$37.93 CHF 31.43

-61.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 €32.58

$52.8 CHF 43.77

-30.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.60

$159 CHF 132

-64.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

$41.76 CHF 34.59

-60.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.03

$24.85 CHF 20.59

-54.53%

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

$983 €873

$2,287 CHF 1,895

-57.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.8K

$32.4K CHF 26.8K

-48.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €81.7

$103 CHF 85.5

-10.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.15 €35.66

$41.39 CHF 34.29

-3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$133 CHF 110

-18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$96.5 CHF 79.9

26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,500

$1,701 CHF 1,410

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,175

$1,361 CHF 1,128

-2.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 €2,325

$2,960 CHF 2,452

-11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,709

$2,244 CHF 1,859

-14.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,336 €6,517

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,253 €4,666

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,055

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.1

50.48%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Last update for Glarus: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Barcelona and $1,701 in Glarus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $121 in Glarus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $437 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 34% in total monthly costs ($2,441 vs $3,277 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,661 in Barcelona and $4,916 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: $1,689 in Barcelona versus $1,701 in Glarus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Barcelona versus $2,287 in Glarus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% 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 34% less than in Glarus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.