Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Buchs Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Buchs

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $3,131 in Buchs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $4,705 in Buchs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $6,279 in Buchs.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 20% less than in Buchs, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Buchs 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$24.41 CHF 19.75

-24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$87.8 CHF 71.0

-21.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$15.70 CHF 12.70

-10.00%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$4.65 CHF 3.77

-32.69%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$3.99 CHF 3.23

-24.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.26 CHF 2.64

-39.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$6.22 CHF 5.03

-35.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$5.59 CHF 4.52

-14.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.06 CHF 1.66

-39.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$4.03 CHF 3.26

-46.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$4.70 CHF 3.80

-64.04%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$7.49 CHF 6.06

-34.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$33.16 CHF 26.83

-46.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$18.51 CHF 14.97

-48.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$33.43 CHF 27.05

-42.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$3.50 CHF 2.83

-7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.29 CHF 1.86

-4.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.23 CHF 2.61

-17.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$6.98 CHF 5.65

-60.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.81 CHF 1.46

22.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.69 CHF 2.17

-18.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.61 CHF 2.11

-41.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.24 CHF 1.00

-25.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$11.24 CHF 9.09

-36.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$13.38 CHF 10.83

-39.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.16 CHF 2.56

-52.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$4.00 CHF 3.24

-30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$5.16 CHF 4.18

-38.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$5.56 CHF 4.50

-41.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.45 CHF 2.79

-56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$60.9 CHF 49.28

-42.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.29 CHF 1.86

-23.58%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$43.4K CHF 35.1K

-15.60%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

-23.87%

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

$188 €161

$183 CHF 148

2.38%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$32.10 CHF 25.97

-51.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$69.1 CHF 55.9

-45.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$15.71 CHF 12.71

-26.29%

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

$1,003 €863

$620 CHF 501

61.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$20.9K CHF 16.9K

-18.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$111 CHF 89.5

-19.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

$24.98 CHF 20.21

63.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

$99.0 CHF 80.1

11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$175 CHF 141

-29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$1,827 CHF 1,478

-8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$1,623 CHF 1,313

-17.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$2,796 CHF 2,262

-7.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$2,828 CHF 2,288

-31.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

$8,717 CHF 7,052

-72.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.93

63.73%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Buchs: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,827 in Buchs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 263% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $88.0 in Buchs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $568 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

Barcelona vs Buchs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Buchs differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $3,131 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 263% lower in Buchs. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,827 in Buchs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $620 in Buchs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $88.0 in Buchs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Barcelona and Buchs 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 26% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.