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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $3,597 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $5,313 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $7,030 in Thun.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 33% less than in Thun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Thun 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$27.60 CHF 21.89

-35.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$124 CHF 98.7

-43.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$17.49 CHF 13.87

-21.90%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$5.83 CHF 4.62

-53.00%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$4.82 CHF 3.83

-42.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$4.63 CHF 3.67

-57.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$8.23 CHF 6.53

-47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$7.56 CHF 6.00

-39.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-40.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.27 CHF 2.60

-37.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$4.19 CHF 3.32

-52.74%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$7.15 CHF 5.67

-52.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$26.31 CHF 20.86

-29.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$28.87 CHF 22.90

-66.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$40.88 CHF 32.42

-53.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.37 CHF 2.67

-18.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.07 CHF 1.64

19.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.77 CHF 2.20

-24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$6.60 CHF 5.23

-57.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.20 CHF 1.74

-8.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.17 CHF 1.72

-14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.44 CHF 1.93

-38.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.09 CHF 0.87

-17.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$10.88 CHF 8.63

-35.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$12.39 CHF 9.83

-35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.98 CHF 1.57

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.35 CHF 1.87

-2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$3.99 CHF 3.17

-27.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$96.7 CHF 76.7

-70.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$7.81 CHF 6.19

-43.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$3.26 CHF 2.59

-34.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$66.9 CHF 53.1

-56.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-13.89%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$41.1K CHF 32.6K

-5.10%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$41.9K CHF 33.3K

-22.02%

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

$189 €163

$372 CHF 295

-49.12%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$58.3 CHF 46.26

-61.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$58.2 CHF 46.18

-37.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$87.9 CHF 69.7

-34.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$24.20 CHF 19.20

-55.33%

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

$726 €625

$3,086 CHF 2,447

-76.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$34.2K CHF 27.1K

-55.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$151 CHF 120

-41.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$68.5 CHF 54.3

-46.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$173 CHF 137

-40.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$188 CHF 149

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$1,709 CHF 1,355

-7.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,479 CHF 1,173

-17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$2,846 CHF 2,257

-4.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$2,433 CHF 1,930

-19.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$7,503 CHF 5,951

-29.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$6,019 CHF 4,773

-60.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.5

35.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Thun: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,709 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 153% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $124 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $592 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 50% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $3,597 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Thun earns 153% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $1,709 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $3,086 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% 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 50% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.