Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubendorf and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubendorf and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,867 in Dubendorf versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,690 in Dubendorf versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,513 in Dubendorf versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Dubendorf is roughly 55% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubendorf 181% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.67 CHF 24.94

$18.39 €15.87

66.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 98.6

$69.2 €59.7

75.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.54 CHF 13.45

$14.13 €12.19

17.06%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.05

$3.13 €2.70

98.40%

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

$5.47 CHF 4.45

$3.02 €2.60

81.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CHF 4.01

$1.96 €1.69

152.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 CHF 7.00

$4.00 €3.45

115.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 CHF 5.45

$4.76 €4.11

40.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$1.25 €1.08

74.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 CHF 3.17

$2.16 €1.87

80.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.82

$1.69 €1.45

178.11%

Eggs

$7.61 CHF 6.18

$4.93 €4.26

54.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.49 CHF 27.22

$17.88 €15.43

87.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.04 CHF 21.99

$9.61 €8.29

181.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.16 CHF 35.09

$19.34 €16.69

123.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.89

$3.24 €2.79

9.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.87

$2.18 €1.88

5.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.72

$2.67 €2.30

25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.91 CHF 5.62

$2.77 €2.39

149.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.21 €1.91

12.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.19 €1.89

1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.09

$1.52 €1.31

69.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 CHF 1.18

$0.92 €0.80

57.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 8.92

$7.12 €6.14

54.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 CHF 10.90

$8.14 €7.02

64.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$1.50 €1.29

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 CHF 2.28

$2.78 €2.40

1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CHF 2.02

$3.15 €2.72

-20.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 CHF 40.65

$26.99 €23.29

85.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 CHF 4.41

$3.25 €2.80

67.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 CHF 2.76

$1.50 €1.30

126.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 CHF 50.2

$34.89 €30.11

76.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.75 €1.51

26.86%

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

$42.9K CHF 34.8K

$36.7K €31.6K

16.93%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

$30.9K €26.7K

28.24%

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

$233 CHF 190

$188 €162

24.44%

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

$32.72 CHF 26.60

$15.44 €13.32

111.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 CHF 54.5

$37.80 €32.61

77.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 CHF 100

$57.2 €49.34

115.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$80.3 CHF 65.2

$16.80 €14.49

377.68%

Cinema Ticket

$24.97 CHF 20.30

$11.58 €9.99

115.63%

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

$1,881 CHF 1,529

$1,003 €865

87.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K CHF 26.7K

$17.0K €14.7K

92.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 117

$89.2 €77.0

61.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.2 CHF 71.7

$40.87 €35.27

115.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 122

$110 €94.9

36.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 CHF 144

$123 €106

44.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 CHF 1,512

$1,673 €1,444

11.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CHF 1,532

$1,331 €1,149

41.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,911 CHF 2,366

$2,596 €2,240

12.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,337

$1,950 €1,683

47.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 9,988

$7,573 €6,535

62.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,334 CHF 5,962

$5,370 €4,634

36.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,921 CHF 3,188

$2,402 €2,073

63.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

3.16

-21.52%

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

Last update for Dubendorf: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,860 in Dubendorf and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubendorf pays 63% 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: $121 in Dubendorf vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $638 vs $332 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

Dubendorf vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubendorf and Barcelona differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($3,867 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Dubendorf, 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: $1,860 in Dubendorf versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,881 in Dubendorf versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Dubendorf. 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, Dubendorf 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 55% less than in Dubendorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.