Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Schaffhausen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Schaffhausen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $3,151 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $5,139 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $7,126 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 21% less than in Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Schaffhausen 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$31.20 CHF 25.46

-40.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$121 CHF 99.0

-42.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$18.87 CHF 15.40

-25.54%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$5.75 CHF 4.69

-45.91%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$5.47 CHF 4.47

-45.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$4.99 CHF 4.07

-60.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$8.73 CHF 7.13

-54.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$7.46 CHF 6.09

-38.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.21 CHF 1.81

-40.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$4.15 CHF 3.38

-49.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$4.36 CHF 3.55

-58.03%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$7.84 CHF 6.40

-34.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$28.35 CHF 23.14

-38.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$32.11 CHF 26.20

-70.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$43.79 CHF 35.74

-54.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.92 CHF 3.20

-19.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.19 CHF 1.79

0.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$3.17 CHF 2.59

-17.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-49.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.52 CHF 2.05

-13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-6.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.46 CHF 2.00

-34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.25 CHF 1.02

-29.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$11.23 CHF 9.17

-36.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$13.72 CHF 11.20

-39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.04 CHF 2.48

-50.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.97 CHF 3.24

-30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.95 CHF 3.22

-20.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$99.4 CHF 81.1

-73.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$6.26 CHF 5.11

-48.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.81 CHF 3.11

-60.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$61.5 CHF 50.2

-42.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-21.17%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$44.7K CHF 36.5K

-18.03%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$40.8K CHF 33.3K

-22.29%

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

$187 €161

$228 CHF 186

-17.77%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$31.99 CHF 26.11

-52.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$64.0 CHF 52.2

-41.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$112 CHF 91.1

-50.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$46.98 CHF 38.34

-64.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$23.97 CHF 19.56

-51.15%

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

$1,011 €871

$3,228 CHF 2,634

-68.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

-48.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$170 CHF 138

-46.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$54.9 CHF 44.83

-25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$193 CHF 157

-42.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$157 CHF 128

-19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,362 CHF 1,112

25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$1,200 CHF 980

8.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$2,710 CHF 2,212

-4.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$2,411 CHF 1,967

-19.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$8,369 CHF 6,830

-7.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$8,438 CHF 6,886

-36.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$7,296 CHF 5,954

-67.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.48

27.42%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,362 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 207% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $121 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $651 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 Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Schaffhausen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $3,151 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 207% lower in Schaffhausen. 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,362 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $3,228 in Schaffhausen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Schaffhausen. 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 Schaffhausen 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 27% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.