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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,289 in Buchs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,945 in Buchs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $6,600 in Buchs.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 28% less than in Buchs, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Buchs 145% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$29.59 CHF 23.57

-40.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$105 CHF 83.6

-34.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$11.57 CHF 9.22

21.52%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.44 CHF 2.74

-19.19%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$2.51 CHF 2.00

11.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.98 CHF 1.58

4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$4.51 CHF 3.60

-1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$5.24 CHF 4.17

-12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.69 CHF 1.35

-26.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$3.01 CHF 2.40

-32.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$4.04 CHF 3.21

-52.48%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$4.83 CHF 3.85

-31.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$30.94 CHF 24.64

-40.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$14.90 CHF 11.87

-36.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$50.6 CHF 40.33

-62.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$3.59 CHF 2.86

-26.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.11 CHF 1.68

16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.94 CHF 2.34

-27.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$6.15 CHF 4.90

-53.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.43 CHF 1.93

-16.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.41 CHF 1.92

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$2.70 CHF 2.15

-45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.28 CHF 1.02

-34.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$11.08 CHF 8.82

-35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$14.16 CHF 11.28

-44.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.42 CHF 1.93

-42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$3.43 CHF 2.73

-32.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$2.49 CHF 1.99

19.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$86.2 CHF 68.6

-66.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$7.91 CHF 6.30

-41.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$3.50 CHF 2.79

-40.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$89.3 CHF 71.1

-67.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.17 CHF 1.73

-15.21%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$30.4K CHF 24.2K

28.43%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$42.2K CHF 33.6K

-22.54%

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

$188 €163

$185 CHF 147

1.62%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$42.94 CHF 34.20

-46.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$55.4 CHF 44.14

-33.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$150 CHF 119

-61.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$17.44 CHF 13.89

18.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$14.57 CHF 11.61

-23.20%

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

$721 €625

$2,906 CHF 2,315

-75.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$33.7K CHF 26.8K

-55.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$137 CHF 109

-36.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$78.5 CHF 62.6

-52.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$134 CHF 106

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$162 CHF 129

-28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$1,823 CHF 1,452

-15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$1,576 CHF 1,255

-22.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$2,784 CHF 2,218

-3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$2,489 CHF 1,983

-19.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$9,109 CHF 7,256

-74.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

69.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Buchs: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,823 in Buchs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 286% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $105 in Buchs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $560 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 39% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $3,289 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Buchs earns 286% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,823 in Buchs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $2,906 in Buchs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Buchs. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 39% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.