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: $3,501 in Thun versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,253 in Thun versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,005 in Thun versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Thun is roughly 48% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 163% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.67 CHF 22.50

$17.15 €14.96

61.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$68.1 €59.3

84.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.19 CHF 13.98

$13.64 €11.89

26.03%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CHF 4.87

$2.78 €2.42

115.11%

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

$4.91 CHF 3.99

$2.82 €2.46

74.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 CHF 3.81

$1.96 €1.71

139.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 CHF 6.75

$4.43 €3.86

87.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 CHF 6.35

$4.61 €4.01

69.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$1.27 €1.11

76.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CHF 2.76

$2.13 €1.86

59.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.33

$1.99 €1.73

105.53%

Eggs

$7.15 CHF 5.82

$3.37 €2.93

112.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.63 CHF 21.66

$18.96 €16.53

40.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.89 CHF 23.50

$9.53 €8.31

203.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.77 CHF 33.16

$18.73 €16.33

117.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.84

$2.65 €2.31

32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 CHF 1.69

$2.35 €2.05

-11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.27

$2.09 €1.82

33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.47 CHF 5.27

$2.73 €2.38

137.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 CHF 1.83

$1.96 €1.71

14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$1.81 €1.58

23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.06

$1.51 €1.32

67.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$0.89 €0.78

29.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.84

$6.78 €5.91

60.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 CHF 9.82

$7.92 €6.90

52.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CHF 1.55

$1.37 €1.19

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.91

$2.40 €2.09

-2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 CHF 3.12

$2.91 €2.54

31.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 CHF 78.8

$28.66 €24.98

237.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 CHF 6.46

$4.58 €3.99

73.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 CHF 2.65

$2.04 €1.78

59.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.3 CHF 53.1

$28.72 €25.03

127.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$1.82 €1.59

21.98%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.5K

$39.3K €34.3K

1.58%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

$32.5K €28.3K

26.15%

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

$373 CHF 303

$187 €163

99.81%

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

$59.9 CHF 48.72

$22.29 €19.43

168.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 CHF 47.38

$36.37 €31.71

60.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.5 CHF 72.8

$57.5 €50.2

55.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$24.23 CHF 19.71

$10.77 €9.39

124.98%

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

$3,109 CHF 2,529

$725 €632

328.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 27.8K

$15.2K €13.2K

125.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 CHF 124

$87.9 €76.6

73.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 CHF 57.0

$36.81 €32.09

90.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 140

$103 €90.2

66.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 153

$119 €103

58.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,387

$1,524 €1,328

11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 CHF 1,200

$1,227 €1,070

20.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,859 CHF 2,326

$2,727 €2,378

4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,420 CHF 1,968

$1,984 €1,730

21.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,225 CHF 5,877

$5,243 €4,571

37.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,956 CHF 4,845

$2,393 €2,086

148.94%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Thun and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 149% 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: $125 in Thun vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $595 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 48% in total monthly costs ($3,501 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Thun, 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: $1,705 in Thun versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,109 in Thun versus $725 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.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $3,501 in Thun, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Thun. 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, 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 48% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.