Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and La Chaux-de-Fonds Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and La Chaux-de-Fonds

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $3,063 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $4,852 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $6,641 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 19% less than in La Chaux-de-Fonds, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, La Chaux-de-Fonds 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$24.87 CHF 20.31

-25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$85.2 CHF 69.6

-18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$18.84 CHF 15.39

-25.42%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$4.72 CHF 3.86

-34.11%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$3.74 CHF 3.06

-20.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$4.73 CHF 3.87

-58.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$7.39 CHF 6.04

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.99

$6.05 CHF 4.94

-23.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-41.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.21 CHF 2.62

-34.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.26 CHF 2.66

-43.87%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$7.97 CHF 6.51

-35.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.15

$26.29 CHF 21.47

-33.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.20

$27.42 CHF 22.39

-65.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.19

$42.24 CHF 34.50

-52.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.58 CHF 2.92

-11.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.32 CHF 1.89

-4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.02 CHF 2.47

-13.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.82 CHF 3.93

-40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.76 CHF 1.44

23.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.03 CHF 1.66

3.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.30 CHF 1.88

-29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.65 CHF 1.34

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$11.24 CHF 9.18

-36.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.13 CHF 9.90

-31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-39.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.04 CHF 2.48

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.71

$4.40 CHF 3.59

-28.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.64

$100.0 CHF 81.6

-73.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$8.14 CHF 6.64

-60.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$4.80 CHF 3.92

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.40

$86.9 CHF 71.0

-59.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-22.57%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$44.7K CHF 36.5K

-17.95%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

-21.44%

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

$187 €161

$298 CHF 244

-37.29%

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

$15.10 €13.02

$54.2 CHF 44.25

-72.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.42

$66.1 CHF 54.0

-43.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.85

$76.4 CHF 62.4

-27.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$44.09 CHF 36.00

-62.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.10

$23.35 CHF 19.07

-49.85%

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

$1,011 €872

$2,984 CHF 2,437

-66.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$20.6K CHF 16.8K

-17.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$146 CHF 119

-37.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.35

$80.7 CHF 65.9

-49.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$166 CHF 136

-33.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$204 CHF 167

-38.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,483 CHF 1,211

14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,121

$1,105 CHF 902

17.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,232

$4,017 CHF 3,280

-35.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$2,413 CHF 1,970

-20.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,667

$17.0K CHF 13.9K

-54.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,643

$11.5K CHF 9,350

-52.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,047

$5,259 CHF 4,294

-54.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.43

30.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,483 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Chaux-de-Fonds pays 122% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $591 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and La Chaux-de-Fonds differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $3,063 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 122% lower in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,483 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $2,984 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 23% less than in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.