Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Muralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,381 a month against $3,658 in Muralto, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Muralto, Switzerland
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,381
/mo nomad
Muralto
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,658
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Muralto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Muralto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,381 in Barcelona versus $3,658 in Muralto.

  • Barcelona $2,381
  • Muralto $3,658

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Barcelona versus $5,343 in Muralto.

  • Barcelona $3,406
  • Muralto $5,343

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,431 in Barcelona versus $7,028 in Muralto.

  • Barcelona $4,431
  • Muralto $7,028

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 35% less than in Muralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 76% above, Muralto 170% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 €15.98
$29.20 CHF 24.14
-38.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$114 CHF 94.1
-41.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 €12.23
$16.59 CHF 13.72
-17.48%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.73
$5.15 CHF 4.26
-40.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.74
$6.21 CHF 5.13
-50.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$4.71 CHF 3.90
-58.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.45
$9.46 CHF 7.82
-59.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.12
$7.74 CHF 6.40
-40.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.96 CHF 1.62
-33.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.88
$3.87 CHF 3.20
-45.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 €1.63
$3.75 CHF 3.10
-51.20%
Eggs
$4.62 €4.13
$7.68 CHF 6.35
-39.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 €15.50
$27.36 CHF 22.62
-36.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 €8.29
$28.87 CHF 23.86
-67.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 €17.71
$35.86 CHF 29.65
-44.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 €2.69
$3.82 CHF 3.16
-21.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.06 CHF 1.70
-1.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$2.55 CHF 2.11
3.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 €2.56
$4.33 CHF 3.58
-33.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.93
$2.09 CHF 1.73
3.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.01 CHF 1.67
6.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.55 CHF 2.10
-42.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.18 CHF 0.97
-25.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.19
$9.67 CHF 7.99
-28.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 €6.99
$11.58 CHF 9.57
-32.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.24
$3.17 CHF 2.62
-56.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.35
$3.26 CHF 2.69
-19.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.60
$4.14 CHF 3.42
-29.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.46 €22.74
$108 CHF 89.3
-76.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.68
$7.76 CHF 6.41
-61.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.29
$4.64 CHF 3.84
-68.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.20 €29.65
$68.8 CHF 56.9
-51.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.17 CHF 1.80
-14.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K €28.9K
$37.4K CHF 30.9K
-13.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.3K
$40.0K CHF 33.1K
-20.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$252 CHF 208
-27.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.61 €12.16
$28.49 CHF 23.56
-52.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.93 €29.41
$63.8 CHF 52.7
-48.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.7 €48.85
$97.5 CHF 80.6
-43.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.52 €14.76
$48.05 CHF 39.72
-65.62%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €10.03
$27.04 CHF 22.35
-58.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$954 €852
$3,346 CHF 2,766
-71.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K €14.8K
$27.8K CHF 23.0K
-40.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.8
$152 CHF 126
-43.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.11 €34.93
$61.0 CHF 50.4
-35.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.6
$172 CHF 142
-39.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$208 CHF 172
-42.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,514
$1,746 CHF 1,444
-2.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 €1,140
$1,707 CHF 1,411
-25.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,300
$2,536 CHF 2,097
1.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 €1,717
$2,542 CHF 2,101
-24.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,281 €6,503
$15.7K CHF 13.0K
-53.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 €4,474
$10.9K CHF 9,015
-54.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Muralto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,227 €1,989
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
2.07
58.45%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Last update for Muralto: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Muralto
$1.7K 33.7% $430
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Muralto
$581 78.9% $256
Eating Out
Barcelona
$270
Muralto
$452 67.6% $182
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Muralto
$344 50% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$156
Muralto
$267 70.6% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$77
Muralto
$152 96.5% $74
Getting Around
Barcelona
$47
Muralto
$156 229% $108

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $1,746 in Muralto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Barcelona vs $114 in Muralto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $581 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇨🇭 Muralto
🕒 Local time
01:45 1:45 AM
01:45 1:45 AM
Same time as Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
2,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.827 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Muralto 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Muralto

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Muralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Muralto?
Barcelona and Muralto differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,381 vs $3,658 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Barcelona compared to Muralto?
You’d need roughly $3,571 in Barcelona and $5,487 in Muralto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Muralto?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $1,746 in Muralto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Muralto?
Childcare runs $954 in Barcelona versus $3,346 in Muralto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Muralto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,381 in Barcelona versus $3,658 in Muralto, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Muralto. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Muralto?
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.
Is Barcelona or Muralto safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Muralto are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Muralto?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Muralto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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