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: $3,097 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,901 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,705 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in La Chaux-de-Fonds is roughly 24% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: La Chaux-de-Fonds 125% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.23 CHF 20.51

$18.39 €15.87

37.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 CHF 72.0

$69.2 €59.7

28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.81 CHF 15.30

$14.13 €12.19

33.12%

Cappuccino

$4.74 CHF 3.85

$3.13 €2.70

51.44%

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

$3.75 CHF 3.05

$3.02 €2.60

24.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.89

$1.96 €1.69

143.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 CHF 5.94

$4.00 €3.45

82.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 CHF 4.95

$4.76 €4.11

27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$1.25 €1.08

91.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CHF 2.55

$2.16 €1.87

45.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CHF 2.69

$1.69 €1.45

95.86%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.27

$4.93 €4.26

56.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.57 CHF 21.60

$17.88 €15.43

48.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.97 CHF 22.74

$9.61 €8.29

191.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.27 CHF 35.18

$19.34 €16.69

123.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.08

$3.24 €2.79

16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.93

$2.18 €1.88

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.44

$2.67 €2.30

12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 CHF 3.92

$2.77 €2.39

74.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$2.21 €1.91

-32.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CHF 1.61

$2.19 €1.89

-9.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.89

$1.52 €1.31

53.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CHF 1.34

$0.92 €0.80

79.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 8.98

$7.12 €6.14

55.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.18

$8.14 €7.02

53.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.97

$1.50 €1.29

61.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.52

$2.78 €2.40

11.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.54 CHF 3.69

$3.15 €2.72

44.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CHF 83.5

$26.99 €23.29

280.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 CHF 6.70

$3.25 €2.80

153.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.68 CHF 3.80

$1.50 €1.30

212.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.4 CHF 71.9

$34.89 €30.11

153.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.91

$1.75 €1.51

34.29%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

21.51%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.2K

$30.9K €26.7K

32.19%

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

$298 CHF 242

$188 €162

58.95%

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

$52.8 CHF 42.92

$15.44 €13.32

241.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 CHF 53.0

$37.80 €32.61

72.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.7 CHF 61.6

$57.2 €49.34

32.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.04 CHF 38.24

$16.80 €14.49

180.00%

Cinema Ticket

$23.70 CHF 19.26

$11.58 €9.99

104.66%

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

$3,027 CHF 2,461

$1,003 €865

201.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K CHF 17.0K

$17.0K €14.7K

23.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 CHF 123

$89.2 €77.0

70.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.8 CHF 66.5

$40.87 €35.27

100.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 CHF 139

$110 €94.9

55.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 CHF 168

$123 €106

68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 CHF 1,203

$1,673 €1,444

-11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 CHF 905

$1,331 €1,149

-16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,032 CHF 3,278

$2,596 €2,240

55.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CHF 2,008

$1,950 €1,683

26.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.6K

$7,573 €6,535

120.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.3K

$5,370 €4,634

135.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,145 CHF 4,183

$2,402 €2,073

114.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

3.16

-23.10%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,480 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Chaux-de-Fonds pays 114% 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: $89.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $599 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

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

La Chaux-de-Fonds and Barcelona differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($3,097 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $1,480 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,027 in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 81% 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 24% less than in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.