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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $3,525 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $5,499 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $7,473 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 74% above, Meilen 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$31.08 CHF 24.67

-45.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$145 CHF 115

-52.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$18.50 CHF 14.69

-25.51%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$6.37 CHF 5.06

-56.67%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$5.87 CHF 4.66

-52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$5.13 CHF 4.07

-61.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$8.38 CHF 6.65

-47.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.27 CHF 5.77

-34.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.31 CHF 1.83

-44.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.29 CHF 2.61

-37.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$4.05 CHF 3.21

-50.86%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$7.53 CHF 5.98

-54.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$29.71 CHF 23.58

-36.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$33.41 CHF 26.52

-71.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$50.4 CHF 40.01

-62.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$4.23 CHF 3.36

-36.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.41 CHF 1.91

-2.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.99 CHF 2.37

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.18 CHF 4.11

-44.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.51 CHF 1.99

-21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.24 CHF 1.78

-19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.51 CHF 1.99

-42.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.13 CHF 0.90

-23.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$11.01 CHF 8.74

-38.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$15.27 CHF 12.12

-48.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.29 CHF 1.82

3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$3.83 CHF 3.04

-23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$96.8 CHF 76.8

-70.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.63 CHF 5.26

-32.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$4.11 CHF 3.26

-50.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$81.5 CHF 64.7

-63.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.24 CHF 1.78

-18.75%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$39.6K CHF 31.4K

-1.97%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$38.9K CHF 30.9K

-14.95%

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

$189 €163

$256 CHF 203

-26.00%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$58.4 CHF 46.34

-60.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$58.8 CHF 46.71

-36.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$88.9 CHF 70.5

-35.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$64.7 CHF 51.4

-67.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$27.31 CHF 21.68

-60.38%

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

$728 €628

$2,795 CHF 2,219

-73.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$40.1K CHF 31.8K

-63.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$140 CHF 111

-36.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$61.6 CHF 48.92

-40.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$147 CHF 116

-30.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$205 CHF 163

-43.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,728 CHF 1,372

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$1,468 CHF 1,165

-16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$2,884 CHF 2,290

-3.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$2,465 CHF 1,957

-19.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$24.8K CHF 19.7K

-68.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$11.9K CHF 9,462

-56.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$8,694 CHF 6,902

-73.05%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Meilen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,728 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 271% 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 $145 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $665 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 51% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $3,525 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Meilen earns 271% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,728 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $2,795 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% 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 51% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.