Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thun and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,453 a month against $3,488 in Thun, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Thun, Switzerland
Barcelona, Spain
Thun
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,488
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thun and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thun and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,488 in Thun versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Thun $3,488
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,274 in Thun versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Thun $5,274
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,060 in Thun versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Thun $7,060
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Thun is roughly 42% more expensive than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thun 156% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.14 CHF 24.13
$17.59 €15.76
65.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 CHF 102
$67.5 €60.5
82.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.96 CHF 13.21
$13.53 €12.12
17.96%
Cappuccino
$6.33 CHF 5.24
$3.19 €2.86
98.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.10 CHF 5.05
$2.91 €2.61
109.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.99 CHF 4.96
$1.89 €1.70
216.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.16 CHF 7.59
$4.01 €3.59
128.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.80 CHF 6.46
$4.53 €4.06
72.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 CHF 1.82
$1.31 €1.17
67.94%
White Bread (500g)
$3.01 CHF 2.49
$2.02 €1.81
49.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.14 CHF 2.60
$1.85 €1.66
69.73%
Eggs
$7.87 CHF 6.52
$4.83 €4.33
62.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.90 CHF 20.61
$16.74 €15.00
48.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$27.51 CHF 22.78
$9.12 €8.17
201.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$39.29 CHF 32.53
$19.64 €17.60
100.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 CHF 2.96
$2.98 €2.67
20.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 CHF 1.63
$2.02 €1.81
-2.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.63 CHF 2.18
$2.70 €2.42
-2.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 CHF 3.92
$2.80 €2.51
68.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 CHF 1.37
$2.09 €1.87
-21.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 CHF 1.66
$2.07 €1.85
-2.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 CHF 1.89
$1.46 €1.31
56.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 CHF 1.08
$0.94 €0.84
38.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.23 CHF 9.30
$6.87 €6.16
63.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.22 CHF 10.12
$7.89 €7.07
54.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 CHF 1.90
$1.41 €1.26
62.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 CHF 2.39
$2.54 €2.27
13.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.18 CHF 3.46
$3.14 €2.82
33.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$102 CHF 84.3
$25.45 €22.80
300.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.70 CHF 6.38
$2.99 €2.68
157.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.58 CHF 3.79
$1.49 €1.34
207.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$83.8 CHF 69.4
$33.37 €29.91
151.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.36 CHF 1.96
$1.80 €1.61
31.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.5K CHF 32.7K
$33.2K €29.7K
19.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K CHF 32.8K
$31.7K €28.4K
25.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$289 CHF 239
$180 €162
60.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.48 CHF 37.66
$13.84 €12.40
228.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.3 CHF 53.3
$33.70 €30.20
90.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.3 CHF 74.7
$51.5 €46.16
75.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$46.46 CHF 38.47
$15.96 €14.30
191.10%
Cinema Ticket
$23.20 CHF 19.21
$10.99 €9.85
111.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,003 CHF 2,486
$917 €821
227.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.1K CHF 25.0K
$16.5K €14.8K
82.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$144 CHF 119
$87.0 €78.0
65.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$79.9 CHF 66.1
$38.51 €34.51
107.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$162 CHF 134
$106 €94.8
53.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$195 CHF 161
$120 €107
62.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,792 CHF 1,483
$1,699 €1,523
5.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,510 CHF 1,250
$1,355 €1,214
11.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,952 CHF 2,444
$2,603 €2,332
13.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,512 CHF 2,079
$2,062 €1,848
21.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$16.3K CHF 13.5K
$6,915 €6,196
135.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.3K CHF 10.2K
$5,128 €4,595
139.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thun
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,715 CHF 4,732
$2,211 €1,981
158.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.42
3.28
-26.22%

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

Last update for Thun: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Thun
$1.5K
Barcelona
$1.4K 10.3% $155
Groceries & Markets
Thun
$565
Barcelona
$322 43.1% $244
Eating Out
Thun
$467
Barcelona
$268 42.6% $199
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thun
$399
Barcelona
$228 42.8% $171
Clothing & Footwear
Thun
$261
Barcelona
$158 39.6% $103
Getting Around
Thun
$149
Barcelona
$48 67.5% $101
Sport & Entertainment
Thun
$137
Barcelona
$74 46.2% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,792 in Thun and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $123 in Thun vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $565 vs $322 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Thun
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
03:50 3:50 AM
03:50 3:50 AM
Same time as Thun
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,905
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.922 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thun Barcelona 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Thun
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Thun and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,488 in Thun and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Barcelona is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Thun or Barcelona?
Average pay in Thun is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Thun and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,792 in Thun versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Thun and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $3,003 in Thun versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Thun. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,453 in Barcelona versus $3,488 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.
How does quality of life compare between Thun and Barcelona?
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.
Where should expats move: Thun or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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