Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and St. Gallen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and St. Gallen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,604 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $5,448 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $7,293 in St. Gallen.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 35% less than in St. Gallen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, St. Gallen 169% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$30.27 CHF 23.95

-41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$150 CHF 119

-54.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$18.21 CHF 14.40

-24.49%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$6.46 CHF 5.11

-57.28%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$5.67 CHF 4.49

-50.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$5.12 CHF 4.05

-59.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$7.40 CHF 5.85

-37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$7.12 CHF 5.63

-35.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.28 CHF 1.80

-43.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.59 CHF 2.05

-18.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.63 CHF 2.87

-45.73%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$8.02 CHF 6.35

-57.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$27.88 CHF 22.05

-32.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$31.80 CHF 25.16

-70.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$41.82 CHF 33.08

-54.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.30 CHF 2.61

-17.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.90 CHF 1.50

24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.53 CHF 2.00

-17.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$7.34 CHF 5.81

-62.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.52 CHF 1.99

-21.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.33 CHF 1.84

-23.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.35 CHF 1.86

-35.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.13 CHF 0.89

-20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$10.98 CHF 8.68

-38.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$11.55 CHF 9.14

-34.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.15 CHF 1.70

-33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.40 CHF 1.90

0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$4.33 CHF 3.43

-30.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$80.0 CHF 63.3

-64.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$6.64 CHF 5.26

-33.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$4.24 CHF 3.36

-51.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$80.1 CHF 63.3

-63.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.13 CHF 1.69

-11.27%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$41.0K CHF 32.4K

-5.44%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$42.2K CHF 33.4K

-23.34%

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

$189 €161

$335 CHF 265

-43.69%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$58.4 CHF 46.15

-61.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$52.9 CHF 41.81

-30.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$83.0 CHF 65.6

-30.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$98.7 CHF 78.1

-78.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$30.64 CHF 24.23

-63.94%

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

$726 €622

$2,846 CHF 2,251

-74.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$34.4K CHF 27.2K

-55.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$146 CHF 115

-39.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$66.2 CHF 52.3

-44.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$157 CHF 124

-34.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$237 CHF 188

-49.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$1,834 CHF 1,451

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$1,522 CHF 1,204

-19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$2,804 CHF 2,218

-0.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$2,360 CHF 1,867

-14.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$10.9K CHF 8,640

-35.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$8,560 CHF 6,771

-43.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$7,299 CHF 5,773

-67.06%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,834 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 204% 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 $150 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $612 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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and St. Gallen differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $3,604 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, St. Gallen earns 204% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,834 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $2,846 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in St. Gallen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,604 in St. Gallen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. 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 St. Gallen 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 54% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.