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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,809 in Sion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,764 in Sion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $6,719 in Sion.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 16% less than in Sion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Sion 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$30.49 CHF 24.04

-42.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$122 CHF 96.0

-43.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$18.18 CHF 14.33

-22.66%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.59 CHF 3.62

-39.43%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$5.12 CHF 4.03

-45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$4.23 CHF 3.33

-51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$7.17 CHF 5.65

-37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$7.45 CHF 5.88

-38.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.83 CHF 1.44

-32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.86 CHF 3.04

-47.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.92 CHF 3.88

-60.98%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$5.96 CHF 4.70

-44.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$28.37 CHF 22.37

-35.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$23.36 CHF 18.41

-59.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$44.20 CHF 34.85

-56.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.40 CHF 2.68

-22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.74 CHF 2.16

-10.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.59 CHF 2.83

-40.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$6.13 CHF 4.84

-53.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.15 CHF 2.48

-35.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.98 CHF 2.35

-37.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.54 CHF 2.01

-42.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.20 CHF 0.95

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$11.20 CHF 8.83

-36.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$14.06 CHF 11.09

-43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.87 CHF 1.47

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.86 CHF 1.46

24.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$5.28 CHF 4.16

-43.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$187 CHF 147

-84.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$6.20 CHF 4.89

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$4.26 CHF 3.36

-51.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$49.76 CHF 39.23

-41.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.22 CHF 1.75

-17.12%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$40.0K CHF 31.5K

-2.46%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$38.4K CHF 30.3K

-14.86%

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

$188 €162

$309 CHF 243

-39.13%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$37.41 CHF 29.50

-38.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$60.4 CHF 47.62

-39.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$138 CHF 109

-58.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$54.6 CHF 43.07

-62.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$22.52 CHF 17.76

-50.31%

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

$721 €620

$994 CHF 783

-27.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$35.0K CHF 27.6K

-56.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$135 CHF 107

-36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$61.3 CHF 48.34

-39.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$161 CHF 127

-36.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$225 CHF 177

-48.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$857 CHF 676

78.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$743 CHF 586

64.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,701 CHF 1,341

58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,888 CHF 1,488

6.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$7,796 CHF 6,147

-7.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$5,773 CHF 4,551

-10.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$6,200 CHF 4,888

-61.95%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sion: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $857 in Sion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sion pays 163% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $122 in Sion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $595 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 19% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,809 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sion earns 163% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $857 in Sion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $994 in Sion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Sion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,809 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 19% less than in Sion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.