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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $4,058 in Montreux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $5,760 in Montreux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $7,462 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 77% above, Montreux 203% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$30.25 CHF 23.85

-41.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$149 CHF 118

-54.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$18.89 CHF 14.90

-25.57%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$6.02 CHF 4.74

-53.82%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$5.59 CHF 4.41

-49.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$4.75 CHF 3.74

-56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$9.61 CHF 7.58

-53.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$8.67 CHF 6.84

-46.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.80 CHF 3.00

-46.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.41 CHF 3.48

-56.46%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$7.04 CHF 5.55

-52.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$29.06 CHF 22.91

-36.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$28.44 CHF 22.42

-66.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$43.85 CHF 34.57

-56.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.01 CHF 3.16

-34.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.16 CHF 1.70

13.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.89 CHF 2.28

-26.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.40 CHF 5.05

-55.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.17 CHF 2.50

-35.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.43 CHF 1.91

-23.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.52 CHF 1.99

-41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.57 CHF 1.24

-46.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$10.89 CHF 8.59

-34.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$14.17 CHF 11.17

-44.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.03 CHF 1.60

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.04 CHF 2.39

-24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$4.03 CHF 3.18

-26.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$89.5 CHF 70.6

-67.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$8.08 CHF 6.37

-43.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$4.12 CHF 3.25

-49.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$66.7 CHF 52.6

-56.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.26 CHF 1.78

-18.58%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

-2.04%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$42.0K CHF 33.1K

-22.06%

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

$188 €162

$308 CHF 243

-39.06%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$50.1 CHF 39.46

-54.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$58.1 CHF 45.81

-36.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$80.5 CHF 63.4

-28.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$36.99 CHF 29.16

-44.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$22.58 CHF 17.81

-50.44%

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

$721 €620

$2,617 CHF 2,064

-72.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$33.8K CHF 26.7K

-55.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$109 CHF 86.0

-21.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$68.6 CHF 54.1

-45.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$176 CHF 139

-42.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$184 CHF 145

-36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$2,177 CHF 1,717

-29.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$2,006 CHF 1,582

-39.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$3,327 CHF 2,623

-18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$2,749 CHF 2,167

-26.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$16.7K CHF 13.2K

-56.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$8,808 CHF 6,944

-41.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$8,425 CHF 6,642

-72.00%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Montreux: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $2,177 in Montreux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 257% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $149 in Montreux for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 71% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $4,058 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Montreux earns 257% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $2,177 in Montreux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $2,617 in Montreux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% 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 71% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.