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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $3,251 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $4,906 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $6,562 in Rapperswil.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 28% less than in Rapperswil, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Rapperswil 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$30.61 CHF 24.00

-42.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$116 CHF 90.6

-39.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$18.50 CHF 14.51

-24.81%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$5.57 CHF 4.37

-50.81%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$5.46 CHF 4.28

-50.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$4.98 CHF 3.90

-59.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$7.31 CHF 5.73

-38.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$6.12 CHF 4.80

-24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.15 CHF 0.90

11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.09 CHF 0.85

92.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$2.39 CHF 1.87

-16.74%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$3.60 CHF 2.82

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$27.64 CHF 21.67

-32.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$31.79 CHF 24.92

-70.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$36.72 CHF 28.79

-49.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$2.47 CHF 1.94

5.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.82 CHF 1.42

31.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.50 CHF 1.96

-12.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.52 CHF 1.98

11.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.87 CHF 1.47

8.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.81 CHF 1.42

3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.61 CHF 2.04

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.65 CHF 0.51

41.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$10.77 CHF 8.45

-36.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$11.65 CHF 9.13

-33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.83 CHF 0.65

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.30 CHF 1.81

1.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$3.86 CHF 3.03

-25.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$97.1 CHF 76.1

-70.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$6.76 CHF 5.30

-34.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$4.19 CHF 3.28

-48.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$79.6 CHF 62.4

-63.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$2.13 CHF 1.67

-10.80%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$41.0K CHF 32.2K

-7.60%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$41.9K CHF 32.8K

-20.46%

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

$186 €158

$326 CHF 256

-43.08%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$59.8 CHF 46.84

-62.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$53.2 CHF 41.70

-31.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$86.3 CHF 67.7

-32.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$22.04 CHF 17.28

-49.64%

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

$705 €601

$2,842 CHF 2,228

-75.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$34.9K CHF 27.3K

-56.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$121 CHF 95.0

-28.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$36.59 CHF 28.68

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$100 CHF 78.7

3.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$61.5 CHF 48.20

87.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$1,700 CHF 1,333

-9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$1,458 CHF 1,143

-14.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$2,840 CHF 2,227

-3.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$2,510 CHF 1,968

-19.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$12.0K CHF 9,409

-40.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$9,897 CHF 7,759

-51.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$8,603 CHF 6,745

-71.24%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $1,700 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapperswil pays 248% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $116 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $504 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 39% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $3,251 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rapperswil earns 248% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $1,700 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $2,842 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Rapperswil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $3,251 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 39% less than in Rapperswil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.