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: $3,371 in Glarus versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,198 in Glarus versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,024 in Glarus versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Glarus is roughly 45% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glarus 152% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.97 CHF 25.04

$17.66 €15.45

75.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 CHF 114

$69.7 €61.0

102.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.91 CHF 12.87

$14.16 €12.39

12.36%

Cappuccino

$5.79 CHF 4.68

$2.80 €2.45

106.79%

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

$5.42 CHF 4.38

$2.81 €2.46

92.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 CHF 3.44

$2.06 €1.81

106.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 CHF 5.94

$4.60 €4.02

59.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 CHF 5.93

$4.69 €4.10

56.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CHF 1.58

$1.23 €1.08

58.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CHF 2.30

$2.03 €1.78

40.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.78

$1.98 €1.73

11.62%

Eggs

$7.98 CHF 6.45

$3.49 €3.05

128.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.67 CHF 24.80

$18.33 €16.04

67.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.89 CHF 29.02

$9.83 €8.60

265.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.3 CHF 41.51

$19.13 €16.73

168.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.06

$2.73 €2.38

38.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.87

$2.38 €2.09

-2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.32

$2.08 €1.82

37.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 CHF 4.98

$2.75 €2.41

124.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.93

$1.96 €1.72

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 2.00

$1.79 €1.57

37.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.08

$1.48 €1.29

74.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CHF 0.98

$0.91 €0.80

34.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.91

$7.13 €6.24

54.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 CHF 9.10

$7.88 €6.89

42.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.96

$1.38 €1.21

75.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 CHF 2.81

$2.39 €2.09

45.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.01 CHF 4.86

$3.01 €2.63

99.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CHF 90.2

$29.35 €25.68

280.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.40

$4.36 €3.82

81.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 CHF 3.34

$2.13 €1.86

93.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.1 CHF 70.4

$29.60 €25.90

194.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$1.82 €1.59

17.58%

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

$35.3K CHF 28.5K

$37.9K €33.1K

-6.89%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.3K

$32.4K €28.3K

19.67%

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

$224 CHF 181

$189 €165

18.70%

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

$74.4 CHF 60.1

$22.29 €19.50

233.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.66 CHF 39.34

$37.16 €32.51

30.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 CHF 73.9

$58.0 €50.8

57.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.27 CHF 34.98

$20.66 €18.08

109.44%

Cinema Ticket

$20.61 CHF 16.66

$10.87 €9.51

89.60%

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

$2,895 CHF 2,340

$706 €618

309.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K CHF 34.2K

$14.9K €13.0K

184.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$89.4 €78.3

55.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.7 CHF 61.2

$36.60 €32.02

106.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 108

$104 €91.0

28.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 CHF 129

$119 €104

33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,348

$1,579 €1,381

5.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 CHF 1,067

$1,238 €1,083

6.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,892 CHF 2,338

$2,712 €2,373

6.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 CHF 1,919

$2,039 €1,784

16.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.4K

$7,527 €6,585

87.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K CHF 8,687

$5,239 €4,584

105.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

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 Glarus: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Glarus and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $141 in Glarus vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 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

Glarus vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glarus and Barcelona differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($3,371 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,056 in Glarus and $3,480 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: $1,668 in Glarus versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,895 in Glarus versus $706 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 Glarus. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,371 in Glarus, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Glarus. 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, 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 45% less than in Glarus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.