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 $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,432 in Embrach versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,342 in Embrach versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Embrach is roughly 51% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Embrach 162% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.38 CHF 24.12

$17.08 €14.72

77.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 CHF 113

$69.2 €59.7

106.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.40 CHF 14.61

$13.78 €11.87

33.53%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 4.90

$2.76 €2.37

123.55%

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

$5.16 CHF 4.10

$2.79 €2.40

84.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 CHF 3.75

$1.99 €1.72

137.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 CHF 6.53

$4.36 €3.76

88.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 CHF 5.95

$4.74 €4.09

58.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.79

$1.29 €1.11

75.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.72

$2.05 €1.77

66.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.34

$1.99 €1.71

111.56%

Eggs

$7.33 CHF 5.82

$3.39 €2.92

116.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.19 CHF 23.17

$18.81 €16.21

55.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.88 CHF 26.90

$9.36 €8.07

261.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$48.59 CHF 38.58

$19.12 €16.48

154.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.88

$2.70 €2.32

34.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$2.34 €2.02

-4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.40

$2.12 €1.83

42.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.28 CHF 4.98

$2.85 €2.46

120.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$1.97 €1.70

27.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.87

$1.80 €1.55

30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.07

$1.45 €1.25

79.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.09

$0.86 €0.74

59.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 CHF 8.82

$6.78 €5.84

63.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 CHF 11.03

$7.90 €6.81

75.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.85

$1.39 €1.20

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 CHF 2.64

$2.37 €2.04

40.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 CHF 3.17

$2.92 €2.52

36.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 78.3

$28.69 €24.72

243.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 CHF 6.33

$4.46 €3.84

78.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.27 CHF 3.39

$2.05 €1.77

108.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.7 CHF 64.1

$29.55 €25.46

173.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.75

$1.82 €1.56

20.88%

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

$40.2K CHF 31.9K

$38.8K €33.5K

3.52%

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

$42.1K CHF 33.5K

$33.1K €28.5K

27.33%

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

$262 CHF 208

$189 €163

38.26%

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

$49.37 CHF 39.20

$22.80 €19.65

116.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.80

$37.59 €32.39

56.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.0 CHF 70.6

$57.7 €49.75

54.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$75.2 CHF 59.7

$20.74 €17.87

262.58%

Cinema Ticket

$22.42 CHF 17.80

$10.82 €9.33

107.21%

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

$2,932 CHF 2,327

$728 €628

302.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.3K

$14.8K €12.7K

132.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 110

$88.6 €76.4

56.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 CHF 54.2

$36.85 €31.75

85.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 118

$102 €87.9

45.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 CHF 152

$116 €100

64.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 CHF 1,336

$1,569 €1,352

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CHF 1,178

$1,218 €1,050

21.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,845 CHF 2,259

$2,795 €2,409

1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,462 CHF 1,955

$1,975 €1,702

24.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.1K

$7,754 €6,680

112.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.7K CHF 9,327

$5,176 €4,460

126.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,817 CHF 5,412

$2,343 €2,019

190.89%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,683 in Embrach and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embrach pays 191% 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: $143 in Embrach vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $666 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 51% in total monthly costs ($3,522 vs $2,337 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Embrach pays 191% 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: $1,683 in Embrach versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,932 in Embrach 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 109% higher in Embrach. 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, 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 51% less than in Embrach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.