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 $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,246 in Thun versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,990 in Thun versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Thun is roughly 50% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 161% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.18 CHF 22.29

$17.61 €15.08

60.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 97.1

$68.7 €58.8

78.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.14 CHF 13.56

$13.75 €11.77

24.65%

Cappuccino

$5.95 CHF 4.70

$2.76 €2.36

115.58%

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

$4.90 CHF 3.88

$2.78 €2.38

76.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 CHF 3.76

$2.05 €1.75

132.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.63

$4.61 €3.94

81.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 CHF 6.02

$4.59 €3.93

65.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$1.28 €1.10

74.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 CHF 2.63

$2.11 €1.81

57.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.33

$1.97 €1.69

114.21%

Eggs

$7.17 CHF 5.67

$3.44 €2.95

108.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.38 CHF 20.86

$18.83 €16.12

40.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.87 CHF 22.83

$9.45 €8.09

205.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.55 CHF 32.87

$19.01 €16.27

118.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.77

$2.72 €2.33

29.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$2.37 €2.03

-9.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.29

$2.08 €1.78

38.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.54 CHF 5.18

$2.76 €2.36

136.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.71

$1.97 €1.69

9.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.71

$1.79 €1.53

20.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.02

$1.51 €1.29

68.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$0.90 €0.77

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 8.86

$6.76 €5.79

65.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 CHF 10.25

$7.55 €6.46

71.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CHF 1.51

$1.44 €1.23

32.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.80

$2.41 €2.06

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 3.02

$3.03 €2.59

26.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 CHF 76.6

$28.39 €24.30

241.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 CHF 6.17

$4.43 €3.79

76.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.38 CHF 2.67

$2.05 €1.76

64.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.0 CHF 52.2

$29.33 €25.11

124.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.79

$1.89 €1.62

19.58%

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

$40.3K CHF 31.9K

$38.7K €33.2K

4.06%

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

$41.5K CHF 32.8K

$32.4K €27.7K

28.11%

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

$365 CHF 288

$189 €161

93.30%

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

$58.9 CHF 46.59

$22.21 €19.01

165.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.86

$36.82 €31.52

60.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.1 CHF 68.9

$58.0 €49.64

50.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$24.76 CHF 19.59

$11.05 €9.46

124.07%

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

$3,063 CHF 2,423

$726 €622

321.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K CHF 26.4K

$15.2K €13.0K

119.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 CHF 119

$88.3 €75.6

69.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.0 CHF 55.4

$36.98 €31.66

89.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 139

$103 €87.8

71.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$119 €102

56.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 CHF 1,347

$1,526 €1,307

11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,148

$1,218 €1,043

19.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,808 CHF 2,221

$2,794 €2,392

0.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,498 CHF 1,976

$2,027 €1,735

23.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,743 CHF 6,125

$4,849 €4,151

59.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,607 CHF 5,226

$2,404 €2,058

174.81%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Thun and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 175% 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 $599 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

Thun vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thun and Barcelona differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($3,501 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Thun pays 175% 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: $1,703 in Thun versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,063 in Thun versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Thun. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 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 50% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.