Cost of Living Comparison Between Buchs and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Buchs and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,289 in Buchs versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,945 in Buchs versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,600 in Buchs versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Buchs is roughly 39% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buchs 145% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.59 CHF 23.57

$17.58 €15.26

68.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 CHF 83.6

$68.4 €59.4

53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 CHF 9.22

$14.06 €12.20

-17.71%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CHF 2.74

$2.78 €2.41

23.74%

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

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$2.80 €2.43

-10.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CHF 1.58

$2.06 €1.79

-3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 CHF 3.60

$4.46 €3.87

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.17

$4.61 €4.00

13.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 CHF 1.35

$1.24 €1.08

36.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 CHF 2.40

$2.03 €1.76

48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.21

$1.92 €1.67

110.42%

Eggs

$4.83 CHF 3.85

$3.31 €2.87

45.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.94 CHF 24.64

$18.43 €15.99

67.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 CHF 11.87

$9.49 €8.23

57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 40.33

$19.16 €16.62

164.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.86

$2.64 €2.29

35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.68

$2.45 €2.12

-13.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.34

$2.12 €1.84

38.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 CHF 4.90

$2.85 €2.47

115.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.93

$2.04 €1.77

19.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.92

$1.85 €1.61

30.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 CHF 2.15

$1.47 €1.28

83.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.02

$0.84 €0.73

52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 8.82

$7.14 €6.20

55.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 CHF 11.28

$7.88 €6.84

79.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.93

$1.38 €1.20

75.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 CHF 2.73

$2.31 €2.00

48.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CHF 1.99

$2.98 €2.59

-16.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CHF 68.6

$29.26 €25.39

194.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.30

$4.60 €3.99

71.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 CHF 2.79

$2.07 €1.79

69.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.3 CHF 71.1

$29.18 €25.32

205.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.73

$1.84 €1.60

17.93%

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

$30.4K CHF 24.2K

$39.0K €33.8K

-22.14%

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

$42.2K CHF 33.6K

$32.7K €28.4K

29.09%

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

$185 CHF 147

$188 €163

-1.60%

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

$42.94 CHF 34.20

$22.93 €19.90

87.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 CHF 44.14

$36.71 €31.85

50.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$150 CHF 119

$57.4 €49.78

161.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.44 CHF 13.89

$20.70 €17.96

-15.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 CHF 11.61

$11.19 €9.71

30.21%

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

$2,906 CHF 2,315

$721 €625

303.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CHF 26.8K

$15.0K €13.1K

123.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 109

$86.2 €74.8

58.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.5 CHF 62.6

$37.07 €32.16

111.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 106

$102 €88.5

30.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 CHF 129

$116 €101

39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 CHF 1,452

$1,534 €1,331

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CHF 1,255

$1,220 €1,059

29.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,784 CHF 2,218

$2,696 €2,339

3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 CHF 1,983

$2,013 €1,747

23.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,109 CHF 7,256

$2,359 €2,047

286.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-41.00%

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

Last update for Buchs: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,823 in Buchs and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 286% 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: $105 in Buchs vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $560 vs $318 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

Buchs vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buchs and Barcelona differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($3,289 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buchs pays 286% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,823 in Buchs versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,906 in Buchs versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Buchs. 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, Buchs and Barcelona 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 39% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.