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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $3,525 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $5,306 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $7,088 in Montreux.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 30% less than in Montreux, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Montreux 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$31.18 CHF 25.74

-39.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$135 CHF 112

-48.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$18.32 CHF 15.12

-24.84%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$6.24 CHF 5.15

-50.32%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$5.22 CHF 4.31

-45.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$4.28 CHF 3.54

-56.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$10.09 CHF 8.33

-60.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$9.86 CHF 8.14

-54.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.60 CHF 2.97

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.25 CHF 2.69

-45.85%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$7.14 CHF 5.89

-28.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$25.65 CHF 21.17

-30.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$27.97 CHF 23.09

-65.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$40.15 CHF 33.14

-49.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.73 CHF 3.08

-12.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.71 CHF 1.41

30.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.50 CHF 2.06

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.51 CHF 3.72

-38.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.91 CHF 1.57

15.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.07 CHF 1.71

2.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.77 CHF 1.46

-46.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$11.28 CHF 9.31

-34.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.30 CHF 10.15

-34.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.73 CHF 2.25

-43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-16.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$4.46 CHF 3.68

-30.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$100 CHF 82.9

-74.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$7.86 CHF 6.48

-58.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.84 CHF 3.17

-61.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$64.4 CHF 53.2

-46.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.37 CHF 1.95

-27.00%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

-8.02%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$40.9K CHF 33.7K

-25.30%

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

$187 €163

$294 CHF 242

-36.27%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$37.71 CHF 31.13

-59.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$51.6 CHF 42.60

-26.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$90.9 CHF 75.0

-38.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$46.17 CHF 38.11

-63.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$24.22 CHF 19.99

-52.89%

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

$997 €869

$2,433 CHF 2,008

-59.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$36.4K CHF 30.0K

-54.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$141 CHF 116

-34.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$80.1 CHF 66.1

-48.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$166 CHF 137

-32.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$192 CHF 158

-34.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,771 CHF 1,462

-3.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,481 CHF 1,222

-13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,938 CHF 2,425

-12.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$2,555 CHF 2,109

-23.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

-52.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

-58.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$8,061 CHF 6,653

-70.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.95

62.05%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Montreux: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,771 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 243% 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 $135 in Montreux for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $583 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 42% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $3,525 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 243% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,771 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $2,433 in Montreux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Montreux. 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 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 42% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.