Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lancy

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $3,462 in Lancy, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Lancy, Switzerland
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Lancy
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Lancy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Lancy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,462 in Lancy.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Lancy $3,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $5,269 in Lancy.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Lancy $5,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $7,075 in Lancy.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Lancy $7,075

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 29% less than in Lancy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Lancy 156% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.71
$28.98 CHF 23.66
-39.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.0
$124 CHF 101
-45.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.12
$15.56 CHF 12.70
-12.53%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.76
$6.48 CHF 5.29
-52.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$4.83 CHF 3.95
-37.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.71
$4.16 CHF 3.40
-53.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.42
$9.04 CHF 7.38
-57.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.88
$7.76 CHF 6.34
-43.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$2.27 CHF 1.85
-44.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$2.92 CHF 2.39
-27.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$3.18 CHF 2.60
-38.05%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.24
$7.91 CHF 6.46
-39.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.19
$24.19 CHF 19.75
-29.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €7.97
$29.43 CHF 24.03
-69.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.38
$39.61 CHF 32.34
-47.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.81
$3.61 CHF 2.94
-12.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.74 CHF 1.42
13.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$2.76 CHF 2.25
-3.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.57
$4.78 CHF 3.90
-39.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.63 CHF 1.33
26.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.00 CHF 1.64
9.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$2.24 CHF 1.83
-31.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.86
$1.35 CHF 1.10
-28.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.20
$11.16 CHF 9.11
-37.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.02
$12.03 CHF 9.82
-34.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$2.29 CHF 1.87
-37.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.91 CHF 2.37
-7.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.94
$4.58 CHF 3.74
-27.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.79
$107 CHF 87.7
-76.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.74
$7.73 CHF 6.31
-60.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$3.83 CHF 3.13
-61.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.25
$64.8 CHF 52.9
-49.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.43 CHF 1.98
-23.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$39.1K CHF 31.9K
-15.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.4K
$39.8K CHF 32.5K
-19.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$274 CHF 223
-33.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.67
$28.38 CHF 23.17
-49.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.76
$54.7 CHF 44.64
-36.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.76
$87.0 CHF 71.0
-40.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.58
$52.9 CHF 43.18
-69.03%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.85
$24.23 CHF 19.79
-54.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €840
$2,564 CHF 2,094
-63.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.8K
$35.2K CHF 28.7K
-36.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.0
$139 CHF 114
-37.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.51
$60.8 CHF 49.62
-36.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.0
$158 CHF 129
-33.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$188 CHF 153
-37.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,510
$1,809 CHF 1,477
-6.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,190
$1,544 CHF 1,261
-13.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,396
$2,929 CHF 2,391
-8.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,848
$2,603 CHF 2,126
-20.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,367
$14.9K CHF 12.2K
-52.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,520
$12.1K CHF 9,880
-58.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Lancy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €1,995
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
1.98
61.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lancy: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Lancy
$1.5K 15.5% $208
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Lancy
$574 75% $246
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Lancy
$453 69.6% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Lancy
$357 54% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Lancy
$246 56.7% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Lancy
$135 84.2% $62
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Lancy
$153 209% $103

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,809 in Lancy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $124 in Lancy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $574 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇨🇭 Lancy
🕒 Local time
09:47 9:47 AM
09:47 9:47 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
10,919
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Lancy 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Lancy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lancy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Lancy?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $3,462 in Lancy, so Barcelona is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Lancy?
You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $5,192 in Lancy 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Lancy?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,809 in Lancy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Lancy?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $2,564 in Lancy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Lancy. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,462 in Lancy, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Lancy. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Lancy?
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.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Lancy?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lancy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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