Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,095 in Biel versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,727 in Biel versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,358 in Biel versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Biel is roughly 31% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biel 133% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.66 CHF 20.06

$17.15 €14.96

43.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 CHF 91.6

$68.1 €59.3

65.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.23 CHF 13.20

$13.64 €11.89

18.99%

Cappuccino

$6.19 CHF 5.03

$2.78 €2.42

122.66%

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

$5.18 CHF 4.21

$2.82 €2.46

83.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.94

$1.96 €1.71

146.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 CHF 6.12

$4.43 €3.86

69.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 CHF 5.58

$4.61 €4.01

48.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$1.27 €1.11

72.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 3.03

$2.13 €1.86

75.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 CHF 3.48

$1.99 €1.73

115.08%

Eggs

$7.30 CHF 5.93

$3.37 €2.93

116.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.19 CHF 24.56

$18.96 €16.53

59.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.60 CHF 28.95

$9.53 €8.31

273.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.2 CHF 41.66

$18.73 €16.33

173.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 CHF 2.74

$2.65 €2.31

27.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.35 €2.05

-5.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.45

$2.09 €1.82

44.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.46

$2.73 €2.38

55.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.96

$1.96 €1.71

22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 2.04

$1.81 €1.58

38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 CHF 2.18

$1.51 €1.32

77.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CHF 0.73

$0.89 €0.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 CHF 9.06

$6.78 €5.91

64.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 CHF 12.43

$7.92 €6.90

92.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.90

$1.37 €1.19

70.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CHF 2.71

$2.40 €2.09

39.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 CHF 3.53

$2.91 €2.54

49.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 88.5

$28.66 €24.98

279.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.20 CHF 9.92

$4.58 €3.99

166.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.34

$2.04 €1.78

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.9 CHF 67.4

$28.72 €25.03

188.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$1.82 €1.59

23.08%

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

$30.9K CHF 25.2K

$39.3K €34.3K

-21.32%

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

$28.2K CHF 22.9K

$32.5K €28.3K

-13.32%

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

$250 CHF 203

$187 €163

34.04%

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

$36.83 CHF 29.95

$22.29 €19.43

65.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.49

$36.37 €31.71

57.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$117 CHF 94.9

$57.5 €50.2

102.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.0 CHF 60.2

$20.74 €18.08

256.85%

Cinema Ticket

$22.35 CHF 18.18

$10.77 €9.39

107.52%

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

$2,900 CHF 2,359

$725 €632

300.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.9K CHF 34.9K

$15.2K €13.2K

183.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$136 CHF 111

$87.9 €76.6

54.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 CHF 37.94

$36.81 €32.09

26.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 CHF 107

$103 €90.2

27.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 CHF 129

$119 €103

33.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 CHF 1,052

$1,524 €1,328

-15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 CHF 945

$1,227 €1,070

-5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 CHF 1,848

$2,727 €2,378

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CHF 1,486

$1,984 €1,730

-7.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,886 CHF 8,041

$7,469 €6,511

32.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,956 CHF 6,471

$5,243 €4,571

51.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,723 CHF 6,282

$2,393 €2,086

222.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.88

3.39

-44.54%

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

Last update for Biel: July 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,294 in Biel and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biel pays 223% 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: $113 in Biel vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $674 vs $319 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

Biel vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biel and Barcelona differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($3,095 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 223% higher in Biel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,294 in Biel versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,900 in Biel versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Biel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,095 in Biel, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Biel. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Biel and Barcelona 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 31% less than in Biel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.