Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,143 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,986 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,828 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in La Chaux-de-Fonds is roughly 33% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: La Chaux-de-Fonds 135% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 CHF 19.69

$17.58 €15.12

42.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 CHF 67.0

$68.4 €58.9

24.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.29 CHF 14.42

$14.06 €12.09

30.09%

Cappuccino

$4.60 CHF 3.63

$2.78 €2.39

65.47%

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

$3.62 CHF 2.86

$2.80 €2.41

29.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$2.06 €1.78

122.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 CHF 5.78

$4.46 €3.84

64.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CHF 4.83

$4.61 €3.96

32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.82

$1.24 €1.07

85.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 CHF 2.99

$2.03 €1.74

86.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 CHF 3.41

$1.92 €1.65

125.00%

Eggs

$7.38 CHF 5.82

$3.31 €2.85

122.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.39 CHF 21.59

$18.43 €15.85

48.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.78 CHF 26.63

$9.49 €8.16

255.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$53.0 CHF 41.75

$19.16 €16.48

176.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.79

$2.64 €2.27

33.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.94

$2.45 €2.11

0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 CHF 2.43

$2.12 €1.82

45.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.21 CHF 4.90

$2.85 €2.45

117.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CHF 2.02

$2.04 €1.75

25.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$1.85 €1.59

29.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CHF 2.04

$1.47 €1.26

76.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CHF 1.05

$0.84 €0.73

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 8.65

$7.14 €6.14

53.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 CHF 9.86

$7.88 €6.78

58.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.89

$1.38 €1.19

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CHF 2.95

$2.31 €1.99

61.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 CHF 2.44

$2.98 €2.56

4.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$158 CHF 125

$29.26 €25.17

441.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 5.93

$4.60 €3.95

63.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.64 CHF 2.87

$2.07 €1.78

75.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.5 CHF 51.7

$29.18 €25.10

124.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.73

$1.84 €1.58

19.57%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

5.63%

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

$48.4K CHF 38.2K

$32.7K €28.1K

48.02%

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

$257 CHF 203

$188 €162

36.88%

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

$48.20 CHF 38.00

$22.93 €19.73

110.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 CHF 50.1

$36.71 €31.58

73.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.1 CHF 60.8

$57.4 €49.35

34.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$24.58 CHF 19.38

$11.19 €9.63

119.66%

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

$3,131 CHF 2,469

$721 €620

334.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K CHF 16.5K

$15.0K €12.9K

39.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 109

$86.2 €74.2

60.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.0 CHF 62.3

$37.07 €31.89

113.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$160 CHF 127

$102 €87.8

57.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$211 CHF 166

$116 €99.7

81.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 CHF 1,151

$1,534 €1,319

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 CHF 870

$1,220 €1,050

-9.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,903 CHF 3,077

$2,696 €2,319

44.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,381 CHF 1,877

$2,013 €1,732

18.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K CHF 10.4K

$7,220 €6,211

81.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,930 CHF 7,829

$5,189 €4,463

91.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,383 CHF 4,244

$2,359 €2,029

128.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

3.39

-27.43%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,460 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Chaux-de-Fonds pays 128% 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: $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $677 vs $318 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

La Chaux-de-Fonds vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Chaux-de-Fonds and Barcelona differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($3,143 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

La Chaux-de-Fonds pays 128% 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: $1,460 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,131 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 113% higher in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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, La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 33% less than in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.