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: $3,490 in Montreux versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,372 in Montreux versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,254 in Montreux versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Montreux is roughly 40% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 154% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.64 CHF 25.72

$18.39 €15.87

72.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 CHF 113

$69.2 €59.7

101.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.45 CHF 15.00

$14.13 €12.19

30.57%

Cappuccino

$6.08 CHF 4.95

$3.13 €2.70

94.25%

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

$5.21 CHF 4.24

$3.02 €2.60

72.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 CHF 3.43

$1.96 €1.69

115.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.10 CHF 8.21

$4.00 €3.45

152.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 CHF 8.23

$4.76 €4.11

112.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$1.25 €1.08

79.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 CHF 2.46

$2.16 €1.87

40.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.65

$1.69 €1.45

92.90%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.75

$4.93 €4.26

43.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.31 CHF 20.58

$17.88 €15.43

41.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.79 CHF 23.40

$9.61 €8.29

199.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.42 CHF 32.86

$19.34 €16.69

109.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CHF 3.04

$3.24 €2.79

15.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 CHF 1.43

$2.18 €1.88

-19.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.17

$2.67 €2.30

-0.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.85

$2.77 €2.39

70.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CHF 1.52

$2.21 €1.91

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.63

$2.19 €1.89

-8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CHF 1.74

$1.52 €1.31

40.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CHF 1.50

$0.92 €0.80

101.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 9.26

$7.12 €6.14

59.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 CHF 10.16

$8.14 €7.02

53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.32

$1.50 €1.29

90.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CHF 2.72

$2.78 €2.40

20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.51

$3.15 €2.72

37.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CHF 84.6

$26.99 €23.29

285.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.45

$3.25 €2.80

144.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.33

$1.50 €1.30

173.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.7 CHF 52.6

$34.89 €30.11

85.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.87

$1.75 €1.51

31.43%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

$36.7K €31.6K

8.27%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

$30.9K €26.7K

32.57%

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

$292 CHF 238

$188 €162

55.85%

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

$37.14 CHF 30.19

$15.44 €13.32

140.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 41.85

$37.80 €32.61

36.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.2 CHF 75.8

$57.2 €49.34

63.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.83 CHF 38.89

$16.80 €14.49

184.70%

Cinema Ticket

$24.60 CHF 20.00

$11.58 €9.99

112.44%

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

$2,425 CHF 1,972

$1,003 €865

141.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K CHF 30.0K

$17.0K €14.7K

116.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 112

$89.2 €77.0

54.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.0 CHF 64.3

$40.87 €35.27

93.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 140

$110 €94.9

56.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 CHF 158

$123 €106

58.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 CHF 1,500

$1,673 €1,444

10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 CHF 1,227

$1,331 €1,149

13.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 CHF 2,350

$2,596 €2,240

11.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 2,035

$1,950 €1,683

28.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.3K

$7,573 €6,535

115.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$5,370 €4,634

131.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,329 CHF 6,771

$2,402 €2,073

246.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

3.16

-38.29%

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

Last update for Montreux: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,845 in Montreux and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 247% 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: $139 in Montreux vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $585 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

Montreux vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreux and Barcelona differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($3,490 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 247% 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: $1,845 in Montreux versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,425 in Montreux 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 76% higher in Montreux. 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, 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 40% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.