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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,143 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,986 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $6,828 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 25% less than in La Chaux-de-Fonds, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, La Chaux-de-Fonds 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$24.98 CHF 19.69

-29.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$85.0 CHF 67.0

-19.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$18.29 CHF 14.42

-23.13%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.60 CHF 3.63

-39.57%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.62 CHF 2.86

-22.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$4.58 CHF 3.61

-55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.33 CHF 5.78

-39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.13 CHF 4.83

-24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.30 CHF 1.82

-46.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.79 CHF 2.99

-46.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.32 CHF 3.41

-55.56%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$7.38 CHF 5.82

-55.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$27.39 CHF 21.59

-32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$33.78 CHF 26.63

-71.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$53.0 CHF 41.75

-63.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.53 CHF 2.79

-25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.46 CHF 1.94

-0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.08 CHF 2.43

-31.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.21 CHF 4.90

-54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.57 CHF 2.02

-20.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.39 CHF 1.89

-22.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.59 CHF 2.04

-43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.33 CHF 1.05

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$10.97 CHF 8.65

-34.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$12.50 CHF 9.86

-36.96%

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

$3.74 CHF 2.95

-38.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.10 CHF 2.44

-3.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$158 CHF 125

-81.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$7.52 CHF 5.93

-38.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.64 CHF 2.87

-43.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$65.5 CHF 51.7

-55.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.20 CHF 1.73

-16.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$41.2K CHF 32.5K

-5.33%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$48.4K CHF 38.2K

-32.44%

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

$188 €162

$257 CHF 203

-26.94%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$48.20 CHF 38.00

-52.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$63.5 CHF 50.1

-42.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$77.1 CHF 60.8

-25.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$24.58 CHF 19.38

-54.48%

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

$721 €620

$3,131 CHF 2,469

-76.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$20.9K CHF 16.5K

-28.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$138 CHF 109

-37.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$79.0 CHF 62.3

-53.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$160 CHF 127

-36.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$211 CHF 166

-45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,460 CHF 1,151

5.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,104 CHF 870

10.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$3,903 CHF 3,077

-30.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$2,381 CHF 1,877

-15.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$13.1K CHF 10.4K

-45.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$9,930 CHF 7,829

-47.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$5,383 CHF 4,244

-56.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.46

37.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,460 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Chaux-de-Fonds pays 128% 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 $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $677 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $3,143 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, La Chaux-de-Fonds earns 128% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,460 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $3,131 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 113% 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 33% less than in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.