Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dubendorf Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dubendorf

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $3,974 in Dubendorf.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $5,958 in Dubendorf.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $7,942 in Dubendorf.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 40% less than in Dubendorf, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Dubendorf 197% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$30.79 CHF 24.27

-42.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$150 CHF 119

-54.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$18.42 CHF 14.52

-23.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$6.38 CHF 5.03

-56.43%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$5.85 CHF 4.61

-52.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$5.40 CHF 4.25

-61.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.41 CHF 5.85

-39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$6.99 CHF 5.51

-34.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.15 CHF 1.69

-42.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.26 CHF 2.57

-37.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.08 CHF 3.22

-52.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$7.26 CHF 5.72

-54.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$29.29 CHF 23.09

-37.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$31.91 CHF 25.16

-70.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$49.09 CHF 38.70

-60.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.18 CHF 2.50

-16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.81 CHF 2.21

-12.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.09 CHF 2.43

-31.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$7.09 CHF 5.59

-59.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.78 CHF 2.19

-26.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.27 CHF 1.79

-18.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.55 CHF 2.01

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.73 CHF 1.37

-51.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$11.01 CHF 8.68

-35.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$15.50 CHF 12.22

-49.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.24 CHF 1.76

-38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.95 CHF 2.32

-21.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$7.71 CHF 6.08

-61.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$123 CHF 97.1

-76.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$6.87 CHF 5.42

-33.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$4.25 CHF 3.35

-51.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$79.7 CHF 62.9

-63.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.31 CHF 1.82

-20.35%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.6K CHF 31.2K

-1.51%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$40.2K CHF 31.7K

-18.62%

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

$188 €162

$260 CHF 205

-27.89%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$35.53 CHF 28.02

-35.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$52.7 CHF 41.56

-30.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$87.4 CHF 68.9

-34.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$55.8 CHF 43.96

-62.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$25.12 CHF 19.80

-55.45%

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

$721 €620

$2,686 CHF 2,118

-73.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$39.6K CHF 31.3K

-62.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$147 CHF 116

-41.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$64.5 CHF 50.8

-42.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$147 CHF 116

-30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$202 CHF 159

-42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,855 CHF 1,462

-17.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,860 CHF 1,467

-34.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,681 CHF 2,114

0.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$2,917 CHF 2,299

-30.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$14.0K CHF 11.1K

-48.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$10.0K CHF 7,885

-48.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$4,069 CHF 3,208

-42.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.5

35.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dubendorf: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,855 in Dubendorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubendorf pays 72% 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 $150 in Dubendorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $667 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 Dubendorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dubendorf differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $3,974 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dubendorf earns 72% 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 $1,855 in Dubendorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $2,686 in Dubendorf. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Dubendorf. 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 Dubendorf 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 68% less than in Dubendorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.