Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Solothurn Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Solothurn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,824 in Solothurn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,426 in Solothurn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $6,029 in Solothurn.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 16% less than in Solothurn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Solothurn 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$30.88 CHF 24.35

-43.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$143 CHF 113

-52.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$20.70 CHF 16.32

-32.08%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$6.63 CHF 5.23

-58.07%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$5.61 CHF 4.42

-50.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$5.13 CHF 4.04

-59.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$6.64 CHF 5.24

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.24 CHF 4.92

-26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.26 CHF 1.78

-45.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.43 CHF 2.70

-40.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.39 CHF 2.67

-43.36%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$7.47 CHF 5.89

-55.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$29.54 CHF 23.29

-37.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$30.76 CHF 24.25

-69.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$38.99 CHF 30.74

-50.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.22 CHF 3.33

-37.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.90 CHF 2.28

-15.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.12 CHF 2.46

-32.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.34 CHF 3.42

-34.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.93 CHF 1.52

5.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.02 CHF 1.59

-8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.50 CHF 1.97

-41.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.06 CHF 0.84

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$11.30 CHF 8.91

-36.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$10.27 CHF 8.09

-23.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.65 CHF 2.09

-47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.43 CHF 1.92

-4.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.60 CHF 2.84

-17.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$98.1 CHF 77.4

-70.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$7.67 CHF 6.05

-40.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$4.19 CHF 3.30

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$73.1 CHF 57.6

-60.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.30 CHF 1.82

-20.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.3K CHF 30.2K

1.96%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$37.8K CHF 29.8K

-13.46%

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

$188 €162

$100 CHF 78.9

87.76%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$30.95 CHF 24.40

-25.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$57.8 CHF 45.53

-36.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$74.0 CHF 58.3

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$24.25 CHF 19.12

-14.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$24.39 CHF 19.23

-54.12%

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

$721 €620

$3,424 CHF 2,700

-78.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$19.8K CHF 15.6K

-23.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$140 CHF 111

-38.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$42.53 CHF 33.53

-12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$99.3 CHF 78.3

2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$188 CHF 148

-38.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,265 CHF 997

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,065 CHF 840

14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,854 CHF 1,462

45.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,755 CHF 1,384

14.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$10.3K CHF 8,088

-29.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$5,092 CHF 4,014

1.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$7,149 CHF 5,636

-67.00%

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 Solothurn: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,265 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solothurn pays 203% 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 $143 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $604 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 Solothurn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Solothurn differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,824 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Solothurn earns 203% 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 $1,265 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $3,424 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Solothurn. 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 Solothurn 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 19% less than in Solothurn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.