Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $2,443 a month against $3,402 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
Learn more

Staefa Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,443

/mo nomad

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Staefa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Staefa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,402 in Staefa.

Barcelona $2,443
Staefa $3,402

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $5,480 in Staefa.

Barcelona $3,519
Staefa $5,480

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $7,558 in Staefa.

Barcelona $4,595
Staefa $7,558

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 28% less than in Staefa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Staefa 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.69

$33.35 CHF 27.25

-47.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €59.9

$124 CHF 101

-45.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.09

$16.32 CHF 13.33

-16.61%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.75

$6.22 CHF 5.08

-50.16%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$5.89 CHF 4.81

-49.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.71

$5.17 CHF 4.23

-62.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 €3.41

$8.68 CHF 7.09

-55.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.87

$8.54 CHF 6.97

-48.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.17 CHF 1.78

-42.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$3.49 CHF 2.85

-39.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-48.56%

Eggs

$4.76 €4.23

$8.50 CHF 6.95

-44.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.16

$26.34 CHF 21.52

-35.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.96

$26.66 CHF 21.78

-66.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.65 €18.34

$55.2 CHF 45.10

-62.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.81

$3.52 CHF 2.87

-10.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.78 CHF 2.27

-29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$3.48 CHF 2.85

-23.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$4.73 CHF 3.86

-39.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.62 CHF 2.14

-21.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.43 CHF 1.99

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$1.32 CHF 1.08

-26.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.19

$11.09 CHF 9.06

-37.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.01

$14.14 CHF 11.55

-44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.76 CHF 2.25

-48.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.22 CHF 2.63

-16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 €2.94

$4.57 CHF 3.73

-27.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 €22.75

$99.1 CHF 81.0

-74.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$8.13 CHF 6.64

-62.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.32

$4.75 CHF 3.88

-68.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.87 €29.20

$88.4 CHF 72.2

-62.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.35 CHF 1.92

-20.43%

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

$33.0K €29.3K

$40.2K CHF 32.8K

-17.97%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$39.4K CHF 32.1K

-18.82%

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

$183 €162

$239 CHF 195

-23.57%

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

$14.24 €12.65

$32.40 CHF 26.47

-56.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.56 €30.70

$56.0 CHF 45.71

-38.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.68

$79.7 CHF 65.1

-35.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 €14.55

$48.63 CHF 39.73

-66.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 €9.83

$24.73 CHF 20.20

-55.28%

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

$944 €838

$3,024 CHF 2,471

-68.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.8K

$36.9K CHF 30.2K

-39.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €77.9

$140 CHF 114

-37.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €34.44

$56.0 CHF 45.73

-30.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.9

$149 CHF 122

-29.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$171 CHF 140

-31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 €1,507

$1,988 CHF 1,624

-14.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,187

$1,426 CHF 1,165

-6.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 €2,391

$2,860 CHF 2,337

-5.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 €1,845

$2,909 CHF 2,377

-28.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,356

$17.0K CHF 13.9K

-57.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,079 €4,512

$11.9K CHF 9,720

-57.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 €1,991

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

1.72

85.47%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.7%

Staefa

$1.4K 41.9% 6.7% $89

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$328 13.4%

Staefa

$642 18.9% 95.9% $314

Eating Out

Barcelona

$267 10.9%

Staefa

$495 14.6% 85.5% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$232 9.5%

Staefa

$328 9.6% 41.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$157 6.4%

Staefa

$232 6.8% 47.9% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Staefa

$129 3.8% 75.6% $56

Getting Around

Barcelona

$49 2%

Staefa

$149 4.4% 203% $100

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $1,988 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $123 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $642 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇨🇭 Staefa

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

11,567

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Barcelona Staefa 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Staefa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $3,402 in Staefa, so Barcelona is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,664 in Barcelona and $5,102 in Staefa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $1,988 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $3,024 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Staefa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,443 in Barcelona versus $3,402 in Staefa, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Staefa. 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 Staefa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.