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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,801 in Solothurn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $4,577 in Solothurn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $6,353 in Solothurn.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 11% less than in Solothurn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Solothurn 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$30.41 CHF 24.82

-39.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$149 CHF 122

-53.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$18.46 CHF 15.06

-23.89%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$6.68 CHF 5.45

-53.44%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$5.63 CHF 4.60

-47.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$5.36 CHF 4.37

-63.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$6.92 CHF 5.65

-42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$6.23 CHF 5.08

-25.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-40.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.82 CHF 3.12

-44.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.53 CHF 2.88

-48.16%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$8.83 CHF 7.20

-41.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$22.83 CHF 18.63

-23.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$26.51 CHF 21.64

-64.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$61.7 CHF 50.3

-67.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.96 CHF 2.41

7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.45 CHF 1.18

52.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.52 CHF 2.87

-25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.22 CHF 3.45

-32.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.67 CHF 1.36

29.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.78 CHF 1.45

18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.63 CHF 1.33

-0.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.00 CHF 0.81

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$11.32 CHF 9.24

-36.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$13.32 CHF 10.87

-37.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.89 CHF 2.36

-48.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.27 CHF 2.67

-15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$4.85 CHF 3.96

-35.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$8.46 CHF 6.91

-61.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$4.75 CHF 3.88

-68.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$92.5 CHF 75.5

-61.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.36 CHF 1.93

-25.85%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$31.4K CHF 25.6K

16.72%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$36.2K CHF 29.5K

-12.42%

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

$187 €161

$98.0 CHF 80.0

90.86%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$30.80 CHF 25.13

-50.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$58.5 CHF 47.73

-35.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$91.9 CHF 75.0

-39.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$17.25 CHF 14.08

-2.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$18.52 CHF 15.11

-36.77%

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

$1,011 €871

$3,692 CHF 3,013

-72.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$19.4K CHF 15.9K

-12.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$143 CHF 117

-36.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$43.91 CHF 35.84

-6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$171 CHF 139

-35.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$258 CHF 210

-51.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,201 CHF 980

41.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,072 CHF 875

21.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,861 CHF 1,519

39.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,815 CHF 1,482

6.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$9,687 CHF 7,906

-20.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$5,010 CHF 4,089

7.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$6,908 CHF 5,637

-65.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.07

52.66%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,201 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solothurn pays 191% 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 $149 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $629 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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $2,801 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 191% lower in Solothurn. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,201 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $3,692 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $149 in Solothurn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 13% less than in Solothurn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.