Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,941 in Olten versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,458 in Olten versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,975 in Olten versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Olten is roughly 24% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olten 119% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.87 CHF 24.36

$17.58 €15.14

75.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 CHF 82.9

$68.4 €58.9

53.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.57 CHF 13.86

$14.06 €12.10

24.96%

Cappuccino

$5.47 CHF 4.31

$2.78 €2.39

96.76%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.22

$2.80 €2.41

90.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 CHF 3.65

$2.06 €1.78

124.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 CHF 5.43

$4.46 €3.84

54.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 CHF 4.97

$4.61 €3.97

36.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CHF 1.65

$1.24 €1.07

68.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.68

$2.03 €1.75

67.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.26

$1.92 €1.65

114.58%

Eggs

$7.54 CHF 5.95

$3.31 €2.85

127.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.64 CHF 17.07

$18.43 €15.87

17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.89 CHF 20.43

$9.49 €8.17

172.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.22 CHF 31.74

$19.16 €16.49

109.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.19

$2.64 €2.27

53.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$2.45 €2.11

-2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.35

$2.12 €1.83

40.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 3.99

$2.85 €2.45

77.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.17

$2.04 €1.75

34.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.87

$1.85 €1.59

28.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CHF 1.94

$1.47 €1.27

67.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.20

$0.84 €0.73

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 CHF 8.64

$7.14 €6.15

53.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 CHF 12.17

$7.88 €6.79

95.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$1.38 €1.19

55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$2.31 €1.99

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 CHF 3.10

$2.98 €2.57

31.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 79.0

$29.26 €25.19

242.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 CHF 5.94

$4.60 €3.96

63.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.14 CHF 3.27

$2.07 €1.78

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.5 CHF 48.53

$29.18 €25.12

110.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.80

$1.84 €1.58

23.91%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.1K

$39.0K €33.6K

4.22%

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

$39.3K CHF 31.0K

$32.7K €28.1K

20.23%

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

$260 CHF 205

$188 €162

38.51%

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

$33.65 CHF 26.56

$22.93 €19.74

46.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 45.54

$36.71 €31.61

57.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 CHF 48.36

$57.4 €49.39

6.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.65 CHF 14.72

$20.70 €17.82

-9.90%

Cinema Ticket

$24.88 CHF 19.64

$11.19 €9.64

122.34%

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

$3,433 CHF 2,709

$721 €621

376.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$15.0K €13.0K

164.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 111

$86.2 €74.2

63.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 CHF 48.33

$37.07 €31.92

65.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$102 €87.8

46.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 156

$116 €99.8

70.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 CHF 985

$1,534 €1,320

-18.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 CHF 839

$1,220 €1,051

-12.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CHF 1,568

$2,696 €2,321

-26.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 CHF 1,348

$2,013 €1,733

-15.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,351 CHF 3,433

$2,359 €2,031

84.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

3.39

-38.35%

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

Last update for Olten: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,248 in Olten and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olten pays 84% 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: $105 in Olten vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $576 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

Olten vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olten and Barcelona differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,941 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Olten pays 84% 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: $1,248 in Olten versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,433 in Olten 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 81% higher in Olten. 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, Olten 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 Olten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.