Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sion Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,806 in Sion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $4,758 in Sion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $6,709 in Sion.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 17% less than in Sion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Sion 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$30.60 CHF 24.79

-42.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$122 CHF 99.0

-42.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$18.01 CHF 14.59

-21.38%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.67 CHF 3.78

-40.04%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$5.08 CHF 4.12

-44.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$4.38 CHF 3.55

-52.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$7.60 CHF 6.15

-39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$7.17 CHF 5.81

-34.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.85 CHF 1.50

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.82 CHF 3.10

-46.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$5.04 CHF 4.08

-60.71%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$6.20 CHF 5.02

-43.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$27.38 CHF 22.18

-33.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$23.80 CHF 19.28

-58.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$44.05 CHF 35.68

-56.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.58 CHF 2.90

-23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.72 CHF 2.20

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.64 CHF 2.95

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$6.34 CHF 5.14

-56.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.14 CHF 2.54

-37.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.82 CHF 2.29

-36.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.54 CHF 2.06

-41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.25 CHF 1.01

-27.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$11.00 CHF 8.91

-35.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$13.59 CHF 11.01

-42.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.82 CHF 1.47

-24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.88 CHF 1.52

27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$5.14 CHF 4.16

-41.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$181 CHF 147

-83.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$6.30 CHF 5.10

-30.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.24 CHF 3.44

-49.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$49.32 CHF 39.95

-39.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-18.75%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$40.9K CHF 33.1K

-7.28%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$37.6K CHF 30.5K

-13.93%

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

$189 €166

$307 CHF 249

-38.41%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$37.36 CHF 30.26

-40.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$59.0 CHF 47.80

-37.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$140 CHF 114

-58.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$55.6 CHF 45.00

-62.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$22.42 CHF 18.16

-51.52%

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

$706 €618

$985 CHF 798

-28.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$35.2K CHF 28.5K

-57.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$133 CHF 107

-32.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$60.8 CHF 49.24

-39.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$157 CHF 127

-33.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$223 CHF 181

-46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$873 CHF 707

80.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$743 CHF 602

66.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,715 CHF 1,389

58.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,922 CHF 1,557

6.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$7,432 CHF 6,020

1.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$5,527 CHF 4,477

-5.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$5,940 CHF 4,811

-60.20%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Sion: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $873 in Sion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sion pays 151% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $122 in Sion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $596 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 Sion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sion differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,806 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 151% lower in Sion. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $873 in Sion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $985 in Sion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Sion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,806 in Sion, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Sion. 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 Sion 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 21% less than in Sion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.