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: $3,144 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,011 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,877 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in La Chaux-de-Fonds is roughly 35% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: La Chaux-de-Fonds 135% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.88 CHF 20.11

$17.66 €15.45

40.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 CHF 69.5

$69.7 €61.0

23.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.51 CHF 14.96

$14.16 €12.39

30.72%

Cappuccino

$4.63 CHF 3.75

$2.80 €2.45

65.36%

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

$3.73 CHF 3.02

$2.81 €2.46

32.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 CHF 3.63

$2.06 €1.81

117.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 CHF 5.86

$4.60 €4.02

57.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 CHF 5.09

$4.69 €4.10

34.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$1.23 €1.08

76.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.06

$2.03 €1.78

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 CHF 3.58

$1.98 €1.73

123.74%

Eggs

$7.39 CHF 5.97

$3.49 €3.05

111.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.83 CHF 21.69

$18.33 €16.04

46.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.57 CHF 27.14

$9.83 €8.60

241.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.2 CHF 42.23

$19.13 €16.73

173.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.88

$2.73 €2.38

30.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 2.03

$2.38 €2.09

5.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.39

$2.08 €1.82

41.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 CHF 5.00

$2.75 €2.41

124.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$1.96 €1.72

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.90

$1.79 €1.57

31.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$1.48 €1.29

75.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.10

$0.91 €0.80

50.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 CHF 8.81

$7.13 €6.24

52.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 CHF 10.03

$7.88 €6.89

57.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CHF 1.95

$1.38 €1.21

74.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 CHF 3.01

$2.39 €2.09

55.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$3.01 €2.63

1.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$160 CHF 130

$29.35 €25.68

445.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 CHF 6.18

$4.36 €3.82

75.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.53 CHF 2.86

$2.13 €1.86

65.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.5 CHF 53.0

$29.60 €25.90

121.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.83

$1.82 €1.59

24.18%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.3K

$37.9K €33.1K

5.60%

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

$48.4K CHF 39.1K

$32.4K €28.3K

49.33%

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

$257 CHF 207

$189 €165

35.75%

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

$48.14 CHF 38.92

$22.29 €19.50

115.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 CHF 51.6

$37.16 €32.51

71.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.0 CHF 60.7

$58.0 €50.8

29.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$24.67 CHF 19.95

$10.87 €9.51

126.95%

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

$3,023 CHF 2,444

$706 €618

328.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K CHF 16.8K

$14.9K €13.0K

39.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 111

$89.4 €78.3

53.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.6 CHF 65.2

$36.60 €32.02

120.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 134

$104 €91.0

58.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 CHF 168

$119 €104

74.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 CHF 1,204

$1,579 €1,381

-5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 CHF 865

$1,238 €1,083

-13.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CHF 3,225

$2,712 €2,373

47.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,915

$2,039 €1,784

16.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.6K CHF 14.3K

$7,527 €6,585

134.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K CHF 9,134

$5,239 €4,584

115.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,195 CHF 4,200

$2,364 €2,068

119.76%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,489 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Chaux-de-Fonds pays 120% 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: $86.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $671 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

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

La Chaux-de-Fonds and Barcelona differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($3,144 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 120% higher in La Chaux-de-Fonds, 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: $1,489 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,023 in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 110% higher in La Chaux-de-Fonds. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,144 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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, 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 35% less than in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.