Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Liestal Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Liestal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,487 in Liestal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $5,348 in Liestal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $7,209 in Liestal.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 32% less than in Liestal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Liestal 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$28.26 CHF 22.81

-39.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$106 CHF 85.3

-35.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$19.44 CHF 15.68

-29.84%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$5.72 CHF 4.62

-51.40%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$4.82 CHF 3.89

-41.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$4.77 CHF 3.85

-58.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$8.26 CHF 6.66

-46.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$6.09 CHF 4.92

-24.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.25 CHF 1.82

-43.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.39 CHF 2.73

-37.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$5.20 CHF 4.19

-61.73%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$7.93 CHF 6.40

-57.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$28.35 CHF 22.87

-33.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$35.74 CHF 28.84

-73.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$40.42 CHF 32.62

-53.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.82 CHF 3.08

-30.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.73 CHF 2.21

-13.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.03 CHF 2.44

-31.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$6.93 CHF 5.59

-60.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$3.29 CHF 2.65

-40.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.97 CHF 2.39

-39.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.61 CHF 2.11

-42.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.26 CHF 1.02

-29.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$11.52 CHF 9.30

-41.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$13.33 CHF 10.76

-40.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.88 CHF 1.52

-27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.31 CHF 1.86

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$3.67 CHF 2.97

-20.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$67.5 CHF 54.4

-57.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$8.23 CHF 6.64

-44.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$4.27 CHF 3.44

-52.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$91.8 CHF 74.1

-68.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$2.15 CHF 1.73

-15.35%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

-3.82%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$48.5K CHF 39.1K

-33.00%

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

$187 €162

$365 CHF 294

-48.85%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$53.8 CHF 43.43

-58.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$59.4 CHF 47.96

-38.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$87.0 CHF 70.2

-33.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$46.14 CHF 37.23

-55.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$24.83 CHF 20.04

-56.63%

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

$725 €628

$2,628 CHF 2,121

-72.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$34.7K CHF 28.0K

-56.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$132 CHF 106

-33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$68.2 CHF 55.1

-46.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$177 CHF 143

-41.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$226 CHF 182

-47.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,452 CHF 1,172

4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$1,311 CHF 1,058

-6.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,430 CHF 1,961

12.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$2,657 CHF 2,144

-25.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$15.3K CHF 12.3K

-51.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

-57.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$9,201 CHF 7,426

-74.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.52

34.52%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Liestal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,452 in Liestal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liestal pays 285% 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 $106 in Liestal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $658 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 Liestal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Liestal differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $3,487 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 285% lower in Liestal. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,452 in Liestal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $2,628 in Liestal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Liestal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,487 in Liestal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Liestal. 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 Liestal 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 48% less than in Liestal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.