Cost of Living Comparison Between Embrach and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Embrach and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,481 in Embrach versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,353 in Embrach versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,224 in Embrach versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Embrach is roughly 48% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Embrach 162% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.05 CHF 25.06

$17.15 €14.86

81.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 CHF 114

$68.1 €58.9

107.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.13 CHF 14.63

$13.64 €11.82

32.92%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 4.97

$2.78 €2.41

121.58%

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

$5.38 CHF 4.34

$2.82 €2.44

90.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 CHF 3.94

$1.96 €1.70

149.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 CHF 6.66

$4.43 €3.84

86.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 CHF 6.14

$4.61 €3.99

65.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$1.27 €1.10

68.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 CHF 2.88

$2.13 €1.85

67.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.32

$1.99 €1.72

107.04%

Eggs

$7.18 CHF 5.80

$3.37 €2.92

113.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 CHF 23.60

$18.96 €16.42

54.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.74 CHF 27.23

$9.53 €8.26

254.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.48 CHF 38.32

$18.73 €16.22

153.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.06

$2.65 €2.29

43.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.87

$2.35 €2.04

-1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.39

$2.09 €1.81

41.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.20 CHF 5.00

$2.73 €2.37

127.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 1.99

$1.96 €1.70

26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.95

$1.81 €1.56

33.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.04

$1.51 €1.31

67.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 CHF 1.11

$0.89 €0.77

55.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 CHF 8.96

$6.78 €5.87

63.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.21 CHF 10.66

$7.92 €6.86

66.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CHF 1.99

$1.37 €1.19

80.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.66

$2.40 €2.08

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.94 CHF 3.18

$2.91 €2.52

35.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 CHF 79.8

$28.66 €24.82

245.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 CHF 6.50

$4.58 €3.96

75.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.31

$2.04 €1.77

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.4 CHF 64.9

$28.72 €24.87

180.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.82 €1.58

23.08%

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

$40.2K CHF 32.4K

$39.3K €34.0K

2.25%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.1K

$32.5K €28.1K

26.31%

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

$257 CHF 207

$187 €162

37.75%

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

$48.00 CHF 38.74

$22.29 €19.30

115.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 CHF 47.06

$36.37 €31.50

60.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.3 CHF 69.6

$57.5 €49.82

49.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.70 CHF 37.69

$20.74 €17.96

125.17%

Cinema Ticket

$22.97 CHF 18.54

$10.77 €9.33

113.28%

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

$2,845 CHF 2,296

$725 €628

292.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K CHF 28.1K

$15.2K €13.1K

129.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$136 CHF 110

$87.9 €76.1

54.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 CHF 55.6

$36.81 €31.88

87.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 122

$103 €89.6

45.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 149

$119 €103

56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 CHF 1,374

$1,524 €1,319

11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 CHF 1,170

$1,227 €1,062

18.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,781 CHF 2,244

$2,727 €2,362

1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,462 CHF 1,987

$1,984 €1,718

24.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 11.9K

$7,469 €6,468

97.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10,000

$5,243 €4,541

136.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,794 CHF 5,483

$2,393 €2,072

183.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.39

-26.25%

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

Last update for Embrach: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Embrach and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embrach pays 184% 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: $142 in Embrach vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $661 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

Embrach vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Embrach and Barcelona differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($3,481 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 184% higher in Embrach, 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: $1,703 in Embrach versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,845 in Embrach 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 107% higher in Embrach. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,481 in Embrach, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Embrach. 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, Embrach 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 48% less than in Embrach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.