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: $3,522 in Embrach versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,426 in Embrach versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,330 in Embrach versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Embrach is roughly 50% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Embrach 163% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.83 CHF 24.35

$17.61 €15.04

75.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 113

$68.7 €58.7

108.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.23 CHF 14.40

$13.75 €11.74

32.58%

Cappuccino

$5.87 CHF 4.63

$2.76 €2.36

112.68%

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

$5.28 CHF 4.17

$2.78 €2.38

89.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 CHF 3.71

$2.05 €1.75

128.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.48 CHF 6.70

$4.61 €3.93

83.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 CHF 5.83

$4.59 €3.92

60.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.79

$1.28 €1.09

76.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 CHF 2.73

$2.11 €1.80

63.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.22

$1.97 €1.68

107.11%

Eggs

$7.25 CHF 5.73

$3.44 €2.94

110.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.48 CHF 23.29

$18.83 €16.08

56.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.93 CHF 26.01

$9.45 €8.07

248.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$48.04 CHF 37.95

$19.01 €16.24

152.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 CHF 2.99

$2.72 €2.32

38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.75

$2.37 €2.03

-6.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.25

$2.08 €1.77

37.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 CHF 4.88

$2.76 €2.36

123.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$1.97 €1.68

27.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$1.79 €1.53

34.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.04

$1.51 €1.29

70.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CHF 1.05

$0.90 €0.77

47.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 8.91

$6.76 €5.77

66.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CHF 11.10

$7.55 €6.44

86.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.88

$1.44 €1.23

65.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$2.41 €2.06

34.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 CHF 3.16

$3.03 €2.59

32.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 CHF 77.7

$28.39 €24.25

246.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 CHF 6.11

$4.43 €3.78

74.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.12 CHF 3.26

$2.05 €1.75

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.3 CHF 63.5

$29.33 €25.05

173.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.89 €1.61

18.52%

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

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$38.7K €33.1K

4.16%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

$32.4K €27.6K

27.46%

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

$256 CHF 202

$189 €161

35.68%

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

$47.83 CHF 37.79

$22.21 €18.96

115.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 CHF 46.87

$36.82 €31.44

61.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.4 CHF 69.0

$58.0 €49.52

50.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.0 CHF 57.7

$20.99 €17.93

247.64%

Cinema Ticket

$22.74 CHF 17.96

$11.05 €9.44

105.79%

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

$2,919 CHF 2,306

$726 €620

301.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.4K CHF 28.0K

$15.2K €13.0K

132.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$136 CHF 107

$88.3 €75.4

53.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.5 CHF 54.1

$36.98 €31.58

85.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$103 €87.6

47.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$119 €102

55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CHF 1,325

$1,526 €1,304

9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 CHF 1,141

$1,218 €1,040

18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,876 CHF 2,272

$2,794 €2,386

2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 CHF 1,972

$2,027 €1,731

23.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

$7,094 €6,058

94.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,522

$4,849 €4,141

122.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,959 CHF 5,497

$2,404 €2,053

189.45%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Embrach and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embrach pays 189% 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: $144 in Embrach vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $659 vs $320 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 50% in total monthly costs ($3,522 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Embrach pays 189% 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: $1,677 in Embrach versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,919 in Embrach versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Embrach. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,522 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 50% less than in Embrach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.