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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $3,132 in Schaffhausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $4,926 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $6,720 in Schaffhausen.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 25% less than in Schaffhausen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Schaffhausen 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$30.39 CHF 24.29

-43.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$124 CHF 99.4

-44.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$15.82 CHF 12.65

-12.90%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$5.42 CHF 4.33

-49.08%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$5.36 CHF 4.28

-47.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$4.37 CHF 3.49

-54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$7.95 CHF 6.36

-45.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$7.35 CHF 5.88

-35.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.96 CHF 1.57

-34.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$3.77 CHF 3.01

-45.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.61 CHF 2.88

-44.88%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$7.87 CHF 6.29

-56.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$29.45 CHF 23.54

-36.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$35.04 CHF 28.01

-73.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$51.8 CHF 41.39

-63.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$3.68 CHF 2.94

-26.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.33 CHF 1.86

0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.94 CHF 2.35

-27.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$6.14 CHF 4.91

-53.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.42 CHF 1.94

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$2.49 CHF 1.99

-27.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$2.56 CHF 2.05

-43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.28 CHF 1.02

-32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$10.97 CHF 8.77

-38.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$12.33 CHF 9.85

-35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.37 CHF 1.09

1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.71 CHF 2.16

-12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$3.98 CHF 3.18

-26.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$87.3 CHF 69.7

-67.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$10.15 CHF 8.11

-56.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$3.89 CHF 3.11

-47.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$60.6 CHF 48.41

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.21 CHF 1.76

-17.65%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$40.3K CHF 32.2K

-3.64%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$42.6K CHF 34.1K

-22.33%

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

$189 €164

$247 CHF 197

-23.33%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$28.92 CHF 23.11

-21.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$43.93 CHF 35.11

-14.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$109 CHF 87.2

-47.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$47.61 CHF 38.06

-56.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$22.53 CHF 18.01

-51.98%

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

$728 €631

$3,388 CHF 2,708

-78.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$42.4K CHF 33.9K

-65.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$111 CHF 89.1

-20.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$66.4 CHF 53.1

-44.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$129 CHF 103

-21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$155 CHF 124

-25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$1,216 CHF 972

28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$1,222 CHF 977

-0.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$2,692 CHF 2,152

3.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$2,197 CHF 1,756

-10.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$8,390 CHF 6,706

-7.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$6,769 CHF 5,410

-23.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$9,336 CHF 7,463

-74.90%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,216 in Schaffhausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 298% 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 $124 in Schaffhausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $672 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 34% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $3,132 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Schaffhausen earns 298% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,216 in Schaffhausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $3,388 in Schaffhausen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% 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 34% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.