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: $2,848 in Biel versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,556 in Biel versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,264 in Biel versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Biel is roughly 15% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Biel 107% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.57 CHF 24.96

$18.42 €15.88

65.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 CHF 89.1

$69.4 €59.8

57.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.07 CHF 14.76

$14.05 €12.11

28.61%

Cappuccino

$6.02 CHF 4.91

$3.11 €2.68

93.57%

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

$5.11 CHF 4.17

$2.96 €2.55

72.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.49

$1.95 €1.69

119.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 CHF 6.44

$3.99 €3.44

97.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 3.97

$4.62 €3.99

5.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.81

$1.32 €1.14

67.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 CHF 3.28

$2.11 €1.82

90.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.68

$1.83 €1.57

79.23%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.90

$5.16 €4.45

39.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.59 CHF 18.45

$17.56 €15.15

28.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.84 CHF 23.55

$9.50 €8.20

203.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.01 CHF 33.49

$19.93 €17.19

105.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.57

$3.17 €2.73

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.73

$2.21 €1.91

-4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.06

$2.61 €2.25

-3.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.61

$2.85 €2.46

11.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 CHF 1.19

$2.17 €1.87

-32.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.48

$2.11 €1.82

-13.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 CHF 1.68

$1.62 €1.39

27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CHF 0.92

$0.88 €0.76

28.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 9.21

$7.17 €6.18

57.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 CHF 12.54

$8.33 €7.18

84.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CHF 0.77

$1.50 €1.29

-37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 CHF 1.56

$2.75 €2.37

-30.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 CHF 3.95

$3.14 €2.71

54.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 CHF 80.3

$26.25 €22.64

274.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 CHF 6.59

$3.22 €2.78

150.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$1.51 €1.31

217.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 70.1

$35.26 €30.40

143.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.76

$1.75 €1.51

23.43%

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

$44.4K CHF 36.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

20.99%

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

$35.6K CHF 29.0K

$31.7K €27.3K

12.28%

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

$139 CHF 113

$187 €161

-25.96%

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

$35.74 CHF 29.18

$15.10 €13.02

136.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.96 CHF 40.79

$37.60 €32.42

32.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.7 CHF 63.4

$55.5 €47.85

39.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$21.97 CHF 17.94

$11.71 €10.10

87.62%

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

$2,684 CHF 2,192

$1,011 €872

165.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.0K CHF 30.2K

$17.1K €14.7K

116.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CHF 88.5

$91.4 €78.8

18.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.87 CHF 40.73

$41.00 €35.35

21.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 119

$111 €95.4

31.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$222 CHF 182

$126 €109

76.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 CHF 1,062

$1,704 €1,469

-23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 CHF 952

$1,299 €1,121

-10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 CHF 1,859

$2,588 €2,232

-12.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 CHF 1,717

$1,929 €1,663

9.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,937 CHF 8,115

$7,732 €6,667

28.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,145 CHF 6,651

$5,384 €4,643

51.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,678 CHF 4,636

$2,374 €2,047

139.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

3.16

-46.84%

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

Last update for Biel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,301 in Biel and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biel pays 139% 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: $109 in Biel vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $333 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 15% in total monthly costs ($2,848 vs $2,482 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 139% 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: $1,301 in Biel versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,684 in Biel versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% 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 15% less than in Biel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.