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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $3,456 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $5,967 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $8,477 in Meilen.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 28% less than in Meilen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Meilen 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$30.64 CHF 25.29

-38.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$122 CHF 100

-42.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$16.67 CHF 13.76

-17.40%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$6.26 CHF 5.17

-50.48%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$5.55 CHF 4.58

-49.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$5.04 CHF 4.16

-62.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$8.43 CHF 6.96

-52.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$8.54 CHF 7.05

-46.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.54 CHF 2.92

-38.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.04 CHF 3.33

-56.44%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$7.97 CHF 6.57

-35.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$27.40 CHF 22.62

-34.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$26.64 CHF 21.99

-63.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$41.75 CHF 34.46

-51.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.66 CHF 3.02

-11.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.08 CHF 1.71

7.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.67 CHF 2.20

-2.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.86 CHF 4.01

-43.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.10 CHF 1.73

5.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-4.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-34.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.29 CHF 1.06

-26.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$11.10 CHF 9.16

-33.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$13.39 CHF 11.05

-39.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-30.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.84 CHF 2.34

-1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$4.59 CHF 3.79

-32.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$102 CHF 84.2

-74.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$7.97 CHF 6.58

-58.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$4.74 CHF 3.91

-68.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$88.0 CHF 72.7

-61.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-21.00%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

-8.53%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$40.5K CHF 33.5K

-24.66%

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

$187 €163

$240 CHF 198

-21.98%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$39.33 CHF 32.46

-61.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$66.0 CHF 54.5

-42.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$92.6 CHF 76.4

-39.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$46.24 CHF 38.17

-63.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$22.49 CHF 18.56

-49.27%

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

$997 €869

$2,882 CHF 2,379

-65.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$44.1K CHF 36.4K

-62.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$140 CHF 115

-33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$60.3 CHF 49.80

-31.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$150 CHF 124

-26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$173 CHF 143

-27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,772 CHF 1,462

-3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,493 CHF 1,232

-13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,847 CHF 2,350

-9.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$4,086 CHF 3,373

-52.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$16.1K CHF 13.3K

-52.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

-58.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$8,471 CHF 6,992

-72.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.72

83.72%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Meilen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,772 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 261% 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 $122 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Meilen differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $3,456 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 261% lower in Meilen. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,772 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $2,882 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Meilen. 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 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 40% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.