Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Altstätten

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $3,740 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Altstätten

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

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Barcelona vs $3,740 in Altstätten, rent included.

Barcelona $2,443
Altstätten $3,740

A couple spends around $3,519 per month in Barcelona vs $5,258 in Altstätten, rent included.

Barcelona $3,519
Altstätten $5,258

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Barcelona vs $6,776 in Altstätten, rent included.

Barcelona $4,595
Altstätten $6,776

Barcelona is about 35% cheaper than Altstätten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Barcelona and Altstätten sit above the global median – Barcelona by 81%, Altstätten by 177%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.73

$30.38 CHF 24.85

-41.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.1

$121 CHF 99.1

-44.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.13

$18.27 CHF 14.95

-25.51%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$6.23 CHF 5.10

-50.24%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$5.40 CHF 4.42

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$4.96 CHF 4.06

-61.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.42

$9.25 CHF 7.56

-58.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$7.50 CHF 6.13

-41.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.19 CHF 1.79

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$3.63 CHF 2.97

-41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.69 CHF 3.02

-46.61%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.24

$7.92 CHF 6.48

-39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.20

$26.62 CHF 21.77

-35.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.98

$28.09 CHF 22.98

-68.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.39

$40.58 CHF 33.19

-49.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.82

$3.50 CHF 2.86

-9.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.05 CHF 1.68

-3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.73 CHF 2.24

-2.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.57

$4.81 CHF 3.94

-40.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.80 CHF 1.48

14.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-2.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.43 CHF 1.99

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$1.26 CHF 1.03

-23.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.21

$10.83 CHF 8.86

-35.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.03

$12.24 CHF 10.01

-35.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.82 CHF 2.31

-49.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.09 CHF 2.53

-12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.95

$4.32 CHF 3.53

-23.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.81

$99.1 CHF 81.0

-74.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.75

$7.50 CHF 6.13

-58.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$4.18 CHF 3.42

-64.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.28

$72.6 CHF 59.4

-54.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.35 CHF 1.92

-20.43%

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

$33.0K €29.4K

$42.1K CHF 34.4K

-21.68%

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

$31.9K €28.5K

$38.9K CHF 31.8K

-17.93%

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

$183 €163

$256 CHF 209

-28.51%

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

$14.24 €12.69

$30.76 CHF 25.16

-53.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.79

$58.5 CHF 47.85

-40.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.81

$75.6 CHF 61.9

-32.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.60

$43.38 CHF 35.48

-62.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.86

$20.89 CHF 17.09

-47.06%

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

$944 €841

$2,539 CHF 2,077

-62.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

-35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.1

$134 CHF 110

-34.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.54

$71.0 CHF 58.0

-45.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.1

$165 CHF 135

-36.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$193 CHF 158

-39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,512

$1,720 CHF 1,407

-1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,191

$1,812 CHF 1,482

-26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,398

$2,810 CHF 2,298

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,850

$2,294 CHF 1,877

-9.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,373

$15.8K CHF 12.9K

-54.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,524

$11.8K CHF 9,616

-56.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,997

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

2.03

57.14%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Altstätten: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Altstätten

$1.8K 48.5% 35.6% $476

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Altstätten

$591 15.8% 80.3% $263

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Altstätten

$475 12.7% 78.1% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Altstätten

$345 9.2% 48.9% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Altstätten

$254 6.8% 61.7% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Altstätten

$117 3.1% 59.6% $44

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Altstätten

$145 3.9% 193% $95

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,720 in Altstätten. 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 $67 in Barcelona versus $121 in Altstätten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $591 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

11,145

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barcelona Altstätten 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Altstätten

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

Barcelona vs Altstätten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,664 per month in Barcelona and $5,610 in Altstätten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,720 in Altstätten. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $3,740 in Altstätten. That makes Barcelona about 35% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Barcelona. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Barcelona, where all-in costs run around $2,443, than in Altstätten at $3,740. In Barcelona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,443 in Barcelona to $3,740 in Altstätten. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.