Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,486 in Thun versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,219 in Thun versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,953 in Thun versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Thun is roughly 49% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 159% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.00 CHF 22.23

$17.08 €14.72

63.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 97.9

$69.2 €59.7

78.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.94 CHF 13.45

$13.78 €11.87

22.93%

Cappuccino

$5.96 CHF 4.73

$2.76 €2.37

115.94%

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

$4.99 CHF 3.96

$2.79 €2.40

78.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 CHF 3.84

$1.99 €1.72

142.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.50 CHF 6.75

$4.36 €3.76

94.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 CHF 6.27

$4.74 €4.09

66.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.74

$1.29 €1.11

70.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 CHF 2.62

$2.05 €1.77

60.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.28

$1.99 €1.71

108.04%

Eggs

$7.07 CHF 5.61

$3.39 €2.92

108.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.41 CHF 20.96

$18.81 €16.21

40.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.72 CHF 22.80

$9.36 €8.07

206.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.85 CHF 32.43

$19.12 €16.48

113.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.83

$2.70 €2.32

31.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.64

$2.34 €2.02

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.18

$2.12 €1.83

29.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 CHF 5.11

$2.85 €2.46

125.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.78

$1.97 €1.70

13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$1.80 €1.55

21.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.03

$1.45 €1.25

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.91

$0.86 €0.74

33.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 8.78

$6.78 €5.84

62.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 CHF 9.89

$7.90 €6.81

57.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CHF 1.50

$1.39 €1.20

35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CHF 1.78

$2.37 €2.04

-5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 CHF 3.16

$2.92 €2.52

36.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 CHF 77.7

$28.69 €24.72

241.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 CHF 6.38

$4.46 €3.84

80.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 CHF 2.68

$2.05 €1.77

64.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.4 CHF 51.9

$29.55 €25.46

121.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$1.82 €1.56

24.18%

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

$40.9K CHF 32.4K

$38.8K €33.5K

5.21%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.7K

$33.1K €28.5K

24.55%

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

$374 CHF 297

$189 €163

97.80%

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

$58.3 CHF 46.29

$22.80 €19.65

155.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 CHF 46.51

$37.59 €32.39

55.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 71.2

$57.7 €49.75

55.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$24.39 CHF 19.36

$10.82 €9.33

125.42%

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

$3,138 CHF 2,491

$728 €628

330.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K CHF 27.2K

$14.8K €12.7K

131.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$153 CHF 121

$88.6 €76.4

72.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 CHF 56.1

$36.85 €31.75

91.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 CHF 141

$102 €87.9

74.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 145

$116 €100

57.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 CHF 1,344

$1,569 €1,352

7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CHF 1,186

$1,218 €1,050

22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 CHF 2,213

$2,795 €2,409

-0.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,459 CHF 1,952

$1,975 €1,702

24.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,376 CHF 5,855

$5,176 €4,460

42.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,943 CHF 4,718

$2,343 €2,019

153.61%

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 Thun: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Thun and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 154% 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: $123 in Thun vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $593 vs $319 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

Thun vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thun and Barcelona differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($3,486 vs $2,337 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Thun pays 154% 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: $1,693 in Thun versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,138 in Thun versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Thun. 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, Thun 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 49% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.