Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Olten Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Olten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,941 in Olten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,458 in Olten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $5,975 in Olten.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 20% less than in Olten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Olten 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$30.87 CHF 24.36

-43.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$105 CHF 82.9

-34.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$17.57 CHF 13.86

-19.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.47 CHF 4.31

-49.18%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$5.34 CHF 4.22

-47.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$4.62 CHF 3.65

-55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.88 CHF 5.43

-35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$6.29 CHF 4.97

-26.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.09 CHF 1.65

-40.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.40 CHF 2.68

-40.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.12 CHF 3.26

-53.40%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$7.54 CHF 5.95

-56.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$21.64 CHF 17.07

-14.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$25.89 CHF 20.43

-63.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$40.22 CHF 31.74

-52.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.04 CHF 3.19

-34.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.40 CHF 1.90

2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.97 CHF 2.35

-28.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$5.05 CHF 3.99

-43.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.75 CHF 2.17

-25.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.37 CHF 1.87

-21.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.46 CHF 1.94

-40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.52 CHF 1.20

-44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$10.95 CHF 8.64

-34.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$15.42 CHF 12.17

-48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.15 CHF 1.70

-35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.42 CHF 1.91

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$3.93 CHF 3.10

-24.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$100 CHF 79.0

-70.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$7.53 CHF 5.94

-38.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$4.14 CHF 3.27

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$61.5 CHF 48.53

-52.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.28 CHF 1.80

-19.30%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$40.7K CHF 32.1K

-4.05%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

-16.82%

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

$188 €162

$260 CHF 205

-27.80%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$33.65 CHF 26.56

-31.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$57.7 CHF 45.54

-36.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$61.3 CHF 48.36

-6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$18.65 CHF 14.72

10.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$24.88 CHF 19.64

-55.02%

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

$721 €621

$3,433 CHF 2,709

-79.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

-62.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$141 CHF 111

-38.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$61.2 CHF 48.33

-39.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$150 CHF 118

-31.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$198 CHF 156

-41.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$1,248 CHF 985

22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$1,063 CHF 839

14.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,987 CHF 1,568

35.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$1,708 CHF 1,348

17.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

$4,351 CHF 3,433

-45.77%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Olten: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,248 in Olten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olten pays 84% 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 $105 in Olten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $576 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 Olten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Olten differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,941 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Olten earns 84% 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 $1,248 in Olten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $3,433 in Olten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Olten. 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 Olten 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 24% less than in Olten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.