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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $3,390 in Rapperswil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $5,153 in Rapperswil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $6,915 in Rapperswil.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 27% less than in Rapperswil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Rapperswil 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$24.98 CHF 20.39

-26.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$98.7 CHF 80.6

-29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$16.65 CHF 13.58

-15.62%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$6.31 CHF 5.15

-50.71%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$4.97 CHF 4.06

-40.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$4.81 CHF 3.93

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$8.81 CHF 7.19

-54.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$6.15 CHF 5.02

-24.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-41.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.49 CHF 2.85

-39.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$4.33 CHF 3.53

-57.74%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$7.98 CHF 6.51

-35.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$27.06 CHF 22.08

-35.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$26.59 CHF 21.70

-64.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$40.99 CHF 33.45

-51.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.69 CHF 3.01

-14.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.11 CHF 1.72

4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.63 CHF 2.15

-0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.81 CHF 3.93

-40.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.09 CHF 1.71

3.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-7.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.49 CHF 2.03

-34.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.39 CHF 1.13

-36.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$11.15 CHF 9.10

-35.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$13.57 CHF 11.08

-38.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.82 CHF 2.30

-2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$4.25 CHF 3.47

-26.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$104 CHF 85.3

-74.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$7.67 CHF 6.26

-58.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$5.08 CHF 4.15

-70.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$88.8 CHF 72.4

-60.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-23.25%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$43.2K CHF 35.2K

-15.09%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

-20.14%

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

$187 €161

$238 CHF 194

-21.33%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$32.75 CHF 26.73

-53.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$67.8 CHF 55.3

-44.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$82.5 CHF 67.3

-32.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$46.95 CHF 38.31

-64.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$22.15 CHF 18.08

-47.13%

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

$1,011 €871

$2,865 CHF 2,338

-64.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$45.2K CHF 36.9K

-62.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$142 CHF 116

-35.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$88.2 CHF 72.0

-53.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$149 CHF 122

-25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$177 CHF 144

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,906 CHF 1,556

-10.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,503 CHF 1,226

-13.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,946 CHF 2,404

-12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$2,475 CHF 2,020

-22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$17.2K CHF 14.0K

-54.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$11.6K CHF 9,443

-53.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

1.72

83.72%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,906 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $99.0 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $591 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 37% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $3,390 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $5,085 in Rapperswil to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,906 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $2,865 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Rapperswil. 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 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 37% less than in Rapperswil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.