Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,993 in Montreux versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,756 in Montreux versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,519 in Montreux versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Montreux is roughly 72% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 199% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 24.95

$17.66 €15.45

74.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 120

$69.7 €61.0

112.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.76 CHF 15.17

$14.16 €12.39

32.49%

Cappuccino

$6.09 CHF 4.92

$2.80 €2.45

117.50%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.45

$2.81 €2.46

96.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 CHF 3.97

$2.06 €1.81

137.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.00 CHF 8.08

$4.60 €4.02

117.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 CHF 6.86

$4.69 €4.10

81.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.82

$1.23 €1.08

83.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 CHF 3.12

$2.03 €1.78

90.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 CHF 3.55

$1.98 €1.73

121.72%

Eggs

$7.29 CHF 5.90

$3.49 €3.05

108.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.22 CHF 22.81

$18.33 €16.04

53.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.54 CHF 23.07

$9.83 €8.60

190.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.93 CHF 35.52

$19.13 €16.73

129.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.25

$2.73 €2.38

47.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.75

$2.38 €2.09

-9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.35

$2.08 €1.82

39.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.64 CHF 5.37

$2.75 €2.41

141.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.55

$1.96 €1.72

60.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.95

$1.79 €1.57

34.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$1.48 €1.29

70.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.27

$0.91 €0.80

72.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 8.94

$7.13 €6.24

55.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CHF 11.11

$7.88 €6.89

74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CHF 1.65

$1.38 €1.21

47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.52

$2.39 €2.09

30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 CHF 3.36

$3.01 €2.63

37.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 CHF 73.8

$29.35 €25.68

211.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 CHF 6.44

$4.36 €3.82

82.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 CHF 3.34

$2.13 €1.86

93.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 CHF 54.0

$29.60 €25.90

125.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.82 €1.59

23.08%

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

$40.4K CHF 32.7K

$37.9K €33.1K

6.72%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.2K

$32.4K €28.3K

26.84%

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

$298 CHF 241

$189 €165

57.42%

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

$50.9 CHF 41.14

$22.29 €19.50

128.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 46.64

$37.16 €32.51

55.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.5 CHF 65.1

$58.0 €50.8

38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.31 CHF 30.16

$20.66 €18.08

80.59%

Cinema Ticket

$22.78 CHF 18.42

$10.87 €9.51

109.57%

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

$2,625 CHF 2,122

$706 €618

271.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K CHF 27.9K

$14.9K €13.0K

132.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 89.1

$89.4 €78.3

23.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 CHF 57.2

$36.60 €32.02

93.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 143

$104 €91.0

70.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 148

$119 €104

53.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 CHF 1,764

$1,579 €1,381

38.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 CHF 1,616

$1,238 €1,083

61.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,322 CHF 2,686

$2,712 €2,373

22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,265

$2,039 €1,784

37.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.1K

$7,527 €6,585

114.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,901

$5,239 €4,584

133.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,997 CHF 6,466

$2,364 €2,068

238.32%

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 Montreux: July 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,182 in Montreux and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 238% 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: $148 in Montreux vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $632 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

Montreux vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreux and Barcelona differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($3,993 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 238% higher in Montreux, 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: $2,182 in Montreux versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,625 in Montreux 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 98% higher in Montreux. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $3,993 in Montreux, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Montreux. 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, Montreux 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 72% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.