Cost of Living Comparison Between Glarus and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Glarus and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,410 in Glarus versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,117 in Glarus versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,823 in Glarus versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Glarus is roughly 37% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glarus 148% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.52 CHF 24.00

$18.39 €15.87

60.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.0

$69.2 €59.7

75.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.18 CHF 14.78

$14.13 €12.19

28.66%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.01

$3.13 €2.70

97.12%

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

$3.79 CHF 3.08

$3.02 €2.60

25.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CHF 3.19

$1.96 €1.69

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.45 CHF 7.68

$4.00 €3.45

136.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 CHF 5.18

$4.76 €4.11

33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.77

$1.25 €1.08

74.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 CHF 2.68

$2.16 €1.87

52.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.36

$1.69 €1.45

71.60%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.39

$4.93 €4.26

59.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 CHF 7.22

$17.88 €15.43

-50.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 CHF 11.93

$9.61 €8.29

52.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.60 CHF 32.20

$19.34 €16.69

104.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.58

$3.24 €2.79

-1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.34

$2.18 €1.88

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.67 €2.30

-10.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 CHF 4.50

$2.77 €2.39

99.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.37

$2.21 €1.91

-23.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$2.19 €1.89

-1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.52 €1.31

51.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.00

$0.92 €0.80

33.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.88

$7.12 €6.14

53.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 CHF 9.21

$8.14 €7.02

39.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$1.50 €1.29

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.92

$2.78 €2.40

-15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.33 CHF 5.15

$3.15 €2.72

100.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$227 CHF 184

$26.99 €23.29

740.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 CHF 5.47

$3.25 €2.80

106.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.85 CHF 3.95

$1.50 €1.30

223.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.9 CHF 65.0

$34.89 €30.11

129.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$1.75 €1.51

26.29%

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

$35.7K CHF 29.0K

$36.7K €31.6K

-2.61%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.4K

$30.9K €26.7K

28.94%

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

$324 CHF 263

$188 €162

72.41%

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

$38.59 CHF 31.37

$15.44 €13.32

149.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CHF 44.51

$37.80 €32.61

44.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$167 CHF 135

$57.2 €49.34

191.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.68 CHF 34.70

$16.80 €14.49

154.05%

Cinema Ticket

$25.71 CHF 20.90

$11.58 €9.99

122.02%

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

$2,370 CHF 1,927

$1,003 €865

136.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

$17.0K €14.7K

91.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 CHF 84.9

$89.2 €77.0

17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 CHF 35.26

$40.87 €35.27

6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 CHF 110

$110 €94.9

22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CHF 81.9

$123 €106

-17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 CHF 1,432

$1,673 €1,444

5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 CHF 1,144

$1,331 €1,149

5.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 CHF 2,482

$2,596 €2,240

17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 CHF 1,899

$1,950 €1,683

19.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,535

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,634

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,073

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

3.16

-33.54%

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

Last update for Glarus: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,762 in Glarus and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Glarus vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $332 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

Glarus vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glarus and Barcelona differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($3,410 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,115 in Glarus and $3,743 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: $1,762 in Glarus versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,370 in Glarus versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Glarus. 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, Glarus 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 37% less than in Glarus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.