Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rapperswil Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Rapperswil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $3,241 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $4,956 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $6,672 in Rapperswil.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 29% less than in Rapperswil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 73% above, Rapperswil 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.11

$30.47 CHF 24.91

-43.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$115 CHF 94.3

-38.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.33

$18.60 CHF 15.21

-24.62%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.45

$5.38 CHF 4.40

-48.33%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$5.46 CHF 4.47

-49.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$5.07 CHF 4.15

-59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$7.61 CHF 6.22

-40.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$6.33 CHF 5.17

-26.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.14

$1.14 CHF 0.93

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.09 CHF 0.89

96.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$2.45 CHF 2.00

-21.22%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.07

$3.80 CHF 3.10

-8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$27.52 CHF 22.51

-32.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$31.81 CHF 26.01

-70.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.62

$37.08 CHF 30.32

-49.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$2.49 CHF 2.04

5.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$1.86 CHF 1.52

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-17.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.53 CHF 2.07

12.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.82 CHF 1.49

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$1.89 CHF 1.54

-2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$2.62 CHF 2.14

-41.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.61 CHF 0.50

47.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$10.98 CHF 8.98

-38.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.85

$13.70 CHF 11.21

-43.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.84 CHF 0.69

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.31 CHF 1.88

0.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$3.87 CHF 3.16

-22.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.16

$98.4 CHF 80.5

-70.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$6.93 CHF 5.66

-33.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$4.34 CHF 3.55

-50.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.98

$80.0 CHF 65.4

-63.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$2.13 CHF 1.74

-15.49%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$40.7K CHF 33.3K

-5.56%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$42.0K CHF 34.3K

-20.72%

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

$185 €163

$334 CHF 274

-44.73%

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

$22.68 €19.94

$60.1 CHF 49.13

-62.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.33

$54.2 CHF 44.32

-32.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$88.9 CHF 72.7

-34.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.63

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.52

$22.28 CHF 18.22

-51.39%

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

$727 €639

$2,817 CHF 2,304

-74.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €13.0K

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

-57.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €77.0

$120 CHF 98.0

-26.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.85

$36.87 CHF 30.15

1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.8

$100 CHF 81.9

3.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$61.9 CHF 50.6

91.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,372

$1,687 CHF 1,379

-7.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$1,493 CHF 1,221

-18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,411

$2,863 CHF 2,341

-4.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,751

$2,444 CHF 1,998

-18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,584

$17.7K CHF 14.5K

-57.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,578

$14.2K CHF 11.6K

-63.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,070

$8,341 CHF 6,821

-71.77%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $1,687 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 254% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $115 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $510 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 Rapperswil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Rapperswil differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $3,241 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 254% lower in Rapperswil. 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $1,687 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $2,817 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Rapperswil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $3,241 in Rapperswil, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Rapperswil. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Rapperswil 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 40% less than in Rapperswil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.