Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,622 in Cham versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Cham versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,198 in Cham versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Cham is roughly 46% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 163% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.63

$18.42 €15.88

70.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$69.4 €59.8

81.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.26 CHF 14.91

$14.05 €12.11

29.96%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$3.11 €2.68

94.53%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$2.96 €2.55

91.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$1.95 €1.69

145.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$3.99 €3.44

110.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.57

$4.62 €3.98

47.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$1.32 €1.14

68.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$2.11 €1.82

91.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$1.83 €1.57

109.29%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.01

$5.16 €4.45

42.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.93 CHF 22.79

$17.56 €15.14

59.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.68 CHF 22.59

$9.50 €8.19

191.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.42 CHF 35.44

$19.93 €17.18

117.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.36

$3.17 €2.73

29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$2.21 €1.91

3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.70

$2.61 €2.25

26.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$2.85 €2.46

65.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$2.17 €1.87

16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$2.11 €1.81

7.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.09

$1.62 €1.39

58.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$0.88 €0.76

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.14

$7.17 €6.18

56.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 11.11

$8.33 €7.18

63.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$1.50 €1.29

91.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$2.75 €2.37

16.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$3.14 €2.70

59.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 CHF 124

$26.25 €22.63

477.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 CHF 4.58

$3.22 €2.78

74.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$1.51 €1.30

129.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$35.26 €30.39

75.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$1.75 €1.51

30.29%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

10.88%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$31.7K €27.3K

26.09%

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

$288 CHF 235

$187 €161

53.82%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.36

$15.10 €13.01

113.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.65

$37.60 €32.41

52.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 CHF 75.4

$55.5 €47.83

66.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.56

$16.74 €14.43

152.93%

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 20.43

$11.71 €10.09

113.75%

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

$1,818 CHF 1,484

$1,011 €871

79.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$17.1K €14.7K

99.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$91.4 €78.8

62.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.56

$41.00 €35.34

48.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$111 €95.3

50.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$261 CHF 213

$126 €109

107.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,413

$1,704 €1,469

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,199

$1,299 €1,120

13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,346

$2,588 €2,231

11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 CHF 2,189

$1,929 €1,663

39.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

$7,732 €6,665

131.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

$5,384 €4,641

152.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

3.16

-34.49%

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

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Cham and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Cham vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $616 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

Cham vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cham and Barcelona differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($3,622 vs $2,482 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,434 in Cham and $3,724 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,732 in Cham versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,818 in Cham 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 85% higher in Cham. 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, Cham 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 46% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.