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: $3,090 in Biel versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,810 in Biel versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,531 in Biel versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Biel is roughly 32% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biel 130% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 CHF 19.64

$17.08 €14.72

44.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CHF 88.4

$69.2 €59.7

60.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.06 CHF 12.75

$13.78 €11.87

16.55%

Cappuccino

$6.13 CHF 4.87

$2.76 €2.37

122.10%

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

$5.27 CHF 4.18

$2.79 €2.40

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 CHF 4.03

$1.99 €1.72

154.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.56 CHF 6.00

$4.36 €3.76

73.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 CHF 5.34

$4.74 €4.09

41.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.78

$1.29 €1.11

74.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 CHF 3.04

$2.05 €1.77

86.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.35

$1.99 €1.71

111.56%

Eggs

$7.42 CHF 5.89

$3.39 €2.92

118.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.45 CHF 24.17

$18.81 €16.21

61.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.97 CHF 28.56

$9.36 €8.07

284.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 40.95

$19.12 €16.48

169.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 CHF 2.68

$2.70 €2.32

24.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$2.34 €2.02

-2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.38

$2.12 €1.83

41.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.26

$2.85 €2.46

44.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

$1.97 €1.70

26.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 1.96

$1.80 €1.55

37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$1.45 €1.25

86.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CHF 0.76

$0.86 €0.74

11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 CHF 8.64

$6.78 €5.84

60.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 CHF 10.93

$7.90 €6.81

74.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.85

$1.39 €1.20

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CHF 2.61

$2.37 €2.04

38.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 CHF 3.59

$2.92 €2.52

54.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 87.3

$28.69 €24.72

283.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 CHF 9.73

$4.46 €3.84

174.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.09 CHF 3.24

$2.05 €1.77

99.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.3 CHF 66.2

$29.55 €25.46

182.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$1.82 €1.56

22.53%

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

$30.3K CHF 24.0K

$38.8K €33.5K

-22.08%

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

$28.3K CHF 22.5K

$33.1K €28.5K

-14.38%

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

$251 CHF 200

$189 €163

32.90%

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

$36.85 CHF 29.26

$22.80 €19.65

61.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CHF 44.16

$37.59 €32.39

47.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 CHF 92.1

$57.7 €49.75

101.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.3 CHF 58.2

$20.74 €17.87

253.57%

Cinema Ticket

$22.57 CHF 17.92

$10.82 €9.33

108.60%

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

$2,842 CHF 2,256

$728 €628

290.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.1K CHF 33.4K

$14.8K €12.7K

185.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 112

$88.6 €76.4

59.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.15 CHF 36.64

$36.85 €31.75

25.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 CHF 103

$102 €87.9

27.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 CHF 128

$116 €100

38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 CHF 1,018

$1,569 €1,352

-18.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 CHF 899

$1,218 €1,050

-7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 CHF 1,805

$2,795 €2,409

-18.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 CHF 1,483

$1,975 €1,702

-5.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,844 CHF 7,815

$7,754 €6,680

26.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,108 CHF 6,437

$5,176 €4,460

56.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,948 CHF 6,310

$2,343 €2,019

239.17%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Biel and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biel pays 239% 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: $111 in Biel vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $677 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 32% in total monthly costs ($3,090 vs $2,337 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Biel pays 239% more on average, 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: $1,282 in Biel versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,842 in Biel versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Biel. 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, 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 32% less than in Biel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.