Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Meilen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Meilen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,550 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $5,422 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $7,295 in Meilen.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 34% less than in Meilen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Meilen 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$31.33 CHF 24.75

-43.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$150 CHF 118

-54.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$18.66 CHF 14.74

-26.31%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$6.19 CHF 4.89

-55.41%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$6.08 CHF 4.80

-54.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$5.29 CHF 4.18

-61.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$8.43 CHF 6.66

-45.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$7.45 CHF 5.88

-38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.29 CHF 1.81

-44.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$3.28 CHF 2.59

-35.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$4.12 CHF 3.26

-52.18%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$7.52 CHF 5.94

-54.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$29.67 CHF 23.44

-36.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$33.85 CHF 26.74

-72.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$50.4 CHF 39.81

-62.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$4.24 CHF 3.35

-35.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.52 CHF 1.99

-5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$3.02 CHF 2.39

-31.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$5.22 CHF 4.12

-47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.50 CHF 1.98

-21.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.29 CHF 1.81

-21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.58 CHF 2.04

-41.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.14 CHF 0.90

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$10.99 CHF 8.68

-38.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$15.56 CHF 12.29

-51.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.27 CHF 1.79

6.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$4.03 CHF 3.18

-24.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$98.2 CHF 77.6

-71.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$6.87 CHF 5.43

-35.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$4.14 CHF 3.27

-50.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$78.9 CHF 62.3

-62.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-15.63%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$41.0K CHF 32.4K

-5.51%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$39.5K CHF 31.2K

-18.13%

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

$189 €161

$255 CHF 201

-25.91%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$59.4 CHF 46.90

-62.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$57.5 CHF 45.45

-36.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$88.9 CHF 70.2

-34.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$65.1 CHF 51.5

-67.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$27.58 CHF 21.79

-59.93%

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

$726 €620

$2,847 CHF 2,250

-74.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

-61.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$142 CHF 112

-37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$62.5 CHF 49.40

-40.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$149 CHF 118

-31.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$200 CHF 158

-40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$1,669 CHF 1,319

-8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$1,442 CHF 1,139

-15.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$2,880 CHF 2,275

-2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$2,497 CHF 1,973

-18.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$14.3K CHF 11.3K

-50.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$10.6K CHF 8,389

-54.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$8,496 CHF 6,712

-71.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.09

62.20%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Meilen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,669 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 253% 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 $150 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $669 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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Meilen differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $3,550 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Meilen earns 253% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,669 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $2,847 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Meilen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,550 in Meilen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Meilen. 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 Meilen 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 52% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.