Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Barcelona

Name: Barcelona
Address: Barcelona, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,476 per month in Altstätten vs $2,482 in Barcelona, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,340 per month in Altstätten vs $3,548 in Barcelona, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,204 per month in Altstätten vs $4,613 in Barcelona, rent included.

Altstätten costs about 40% more than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Altstätten and Barcelona sit above the global median – Altstätten by 152%, Barcelona by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.42 CHF 24.82

$18.42 €15.88

65.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 100

$69.4 €59.8

76.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 15.28

$14.05 €12.11

33.31%

Cappuccino

$6.06 CHF 4.95

$3.11 €2.68

94.86%

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

$5.37 CHF 4.38

$2.96 €2.55

81.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.95

$1.95 €1.69

148.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 CHF 7.34

$3.99 €3.44

125.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 CHF 6.16

$4.62 €3.98

63.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$1.32 €1.14

67.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$2.11 €1.82

81.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CHF 3.05

$1.83 €1.57

104.37%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.43

$5.16 €4.45

52.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.34 CHF 21.50

$17.56 €15.14

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.99 CHF 22.84

$9.50 €8.19

194.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.69 CHF 34.02

$19.93 €17.18

109.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.86

$3.17 €2.73

10.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.64

$2.21 €1.91

-9.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.28

$2.61 €2.25

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 CHF 4.06

$2.85 €2.46

74.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.55

$2.17 €1.87

-12.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$2.11 €1.81

5.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.86

$1.62 €1.39

40.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 CHF 1.08

$0.88 €0.76

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 CHF 9.06

$7.17 €6.18

54.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CHF 10.82

$8.33 €7.18

59.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$1.50 €1.29

82.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CHF 2.61

$2.75 €2.37

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 CHF 3.31

$3.14 €2.70

29.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.1

$26.25 €22.63

306.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 CHF 7.11

$3.22 €2.78

170.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.43

$1.51 €1.30

178.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.8 CHF 72.5

$35.26 €30.39

151.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 CHF 1.61

$1.75 €1.51

13.14%

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

$46.8K CHF 38.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

27.77%

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

$34.3K CHF 28.0K

$31.7K €27.3K

8.15%

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

$315 CHF 257

$187 €161

68.14%

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

$30.15 CHF 24.60

$15.10 €13.01

99.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 CHF 54.0

$37.60 €32.41

75.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 CHF 82.0

$55.5 €47.83

81.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.16 CHF 37.67

$16.74 €14.43

175.75%

Cinema Ticket

$23.47 CHF 19.15

$11.71 €10.09

100.43%

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

$3,112 CHF 2,540

$1,011 €871

207.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K CHF 25.0K

$17.1K €14.7K

79.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$91.4 €78.8

48.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 CHF 43.83

$41.00 €35.34

30.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 142

$111 €95.3

56.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$212 CHF 173

$126 €109

68.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CHF 1,615

$1,704 €1,469

16.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 CHF 1,146

$1,299 €1,120

8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 CHF 2,419

$2,588 €2,231

14.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,428 CHF 1,981

$1,929 €1,663

25.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 12.2K

$7,732 €6,665

92.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.1K CHF 9,031

$5,384 €4,641

105.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

3.16

-34.49%

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

Last update for Altstätten: September 6, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,979 in Altstätten versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Altstätten versus $69.0 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $598 vs $333 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Altstätten vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 40%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,214 per month in Altstätten and $3,724 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barcelona, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,476 in Altstätten and $2,482 in Barcelona. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 306% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,476 in Altstätten and $2,482 in Barcelona. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Barcelona – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Barcelona. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.