Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Montreux Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Montreux

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,993 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $5,756 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $7,519 in Montreux.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 42% less than in Montreux, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Montreux 199% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$30.86 CHF 24.99

-42.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$148 CHF 120

-52.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$18.76 CHF 15.20

-24.52%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$6.09 CHF 4.93

-54.02%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$5.51 CHF 4.46

-49.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$4.90 CHF 3.97

-57.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$10.00 CHF 8.10

-54.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$8.49 CHF 6.88

-44.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.26 CHF 1.83

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.86 CHF 3.12

-47.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$4.39 CHF 3.56

-54.90%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$7.29 CHF 5.91

-52.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$28.22 CHF 22.86

-35.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$28.54 CHF 23.11

-65.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$43.93 CHF 35.58

-56.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.02 CHF 3.26

-32.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.16 CHF 1.75

10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.91 CHF 2.36

-28.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$6.64 CHF 5.38

-58.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.15 CHF 2.55

-37.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.41 CHF 1.95

-25.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.53 CHF 2.05

-41.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.57 CHF 1.27

-42.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$11.06 CHF 8.96

-35.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$13.75 CHF 11.14

-42.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.04 CHF 1.65

-32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.11 CHF 2.52

-23.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$4.15 CHF 3.36

-27.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$91.3 CHF 73.9

-67.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$7.97 CHF 6.45

-45.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.13 CHF 3.35

-48.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$66.8 CHF 54.1

-55.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-18.75%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$40.4K CHF 32.8K

-6.29%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

-21.16%

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

$189 €166

$298 CHF 241

-36.48%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$50.9 CHF 41.22

-56.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$57.7 CHF 46.73

-35.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$80.5 CHF 65.2

-27.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$37.31 CHF 30.22

-44.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$22.78 CHF 18.45

-52.28%

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

$706 €618

$2,625 CHF 2,126

-73.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$34.5K CHF 27.9K

-56.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$110 CHF 89.2

-18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$70.7 CHF 57.3

-48.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$177 CHF 143

-41.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$184 CHF 149

-34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$2,182 CHF 1,767

-27.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$1,999 CHF 1,619

-38.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$3,322 CHF 2,691

-18.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$2,802 CHF 2,269

-27.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$16.2K CHF 13.1K

-53.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$12.2K CHF 9,920

-57.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$7,997 CHF 6,478

-70.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.5

35.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Montreux: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $2,182 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 238% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $148 in Montreux for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $632 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 Montreux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Montreux differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $3,993 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 238% lower in Montreux. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $2,182 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $2,625 in Montreux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Montreux. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,993 in Montreux, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Montreux. 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 Montreux 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 72% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.