Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Thun Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Thun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $3,478 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $5,333 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $7,188 in Thun.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 29% less than in Thun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Thun 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$28.64 CHF 23.38

-35.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$122 CHF 99.8

-43.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$16.38 CHF 13.37

-14.22%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$6.67 CHF 5.44

-53.37%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$6.15 CHF 5.02

-51.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$6.34 CHF 5.17

-69.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$9.11 CHF 7.43

-56.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-42.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.18 CHF 1.78

-39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.99 CHF 2.44

-29.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.19 CHF 2.61

-42.63%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$7.95 CHF 6.49

-35.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$25.22 CHF 20.58

-30.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$28.49 CHF 23.25

-66.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$40.48 CHF 33.03

-50.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.74 CHF 3.05

-15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.03 CHF 1.66

8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.70 CHF 2.21

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.57 CHF 3.73

-37.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.66 CHF 1.35

30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.98 CHF 1.61

6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.31 CHF 1.89

-29.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.36 CHF 1.11

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$11.67 CHF 9.53

-38.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.42 CHF 10.13

-32.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.11 CHF 2.54

-11.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$4.49 CHF 3.67

-30.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$101 CHF 82.1

-73.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$7.84 CHF 6.40

-58.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$4.81 CHF 3.93

-68.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$86.1 CHF 70.2

-59.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.38 CHF 1.94

-26.47%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$43.1K CHF 35.2K

-14.96%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$40.5K CHF 33.1K

-21.84%

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

$187 €161

$303 CHF 247

-38.20%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$53.7 CHF 43.80

-71.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$64.3 CHF 52.4

-41.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$91.9 CHF 75.0

-39.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$41.36 CHF 33.76

-59.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$23.23 CHF 18.95

-49.59%

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

$1,011 €871

$3,123 CHF 2,549

-67.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$31.6K CHF 25.7K

-45.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$151 CHF 123

-39.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$81.2 CHF 66.3

-49.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$163 CHF 133

-32.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$199 CHF 163

-36.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,748 CHF 1,427

-2.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,505 CHF 1,228

-13.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,923 CHF 2,386

-11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$2,550 CHF 2,081

-24.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

-54.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$12.2K CHF 9,927

-55.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$5,959 CHF 4,863

-60.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.43

30.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Thun: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,748 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 151% 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 $122 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $578 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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Thun differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $3,478 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 151% lower in Thun. 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 $1,748 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $3,123 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Thun. 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 Thun 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 40% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.