Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendrisio and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendrisio and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,925 in Mendrisio versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,848 in Mendrisio versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,771 in Mendrisio versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Mendrisio is roughly 26% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mendrisio 119% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.74 CHF 24.85

$17.66 €15.45

74.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$186 CHF 151

$69.7 €61.0

167.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.80 CHF 15.20

$14.16 €12.39

32.77%

Cappuccino

$4.34 CHF 3.51

$2.80 €2.45

55.00%

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

$4.29 CHF 3.47

$2.81 €2.46

52.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CHF 2.96

$2.06 €1.81

77.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 CHF 4.94

$4.60 €4.02

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.89

$4.69 €4.10

29.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 CHF 1.02

$1.23 €1.08

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 CHF 2.90

$2.03 €1.78

76.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.92 CHF 3.98

$1.98 €1.73

148.48%

Eggs

$3.65 CHF 2.95

$3.49 €3.05

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.96 CHF 21.80

$18.33 €16.04

47.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 CHF 12.33

$9.83 €8.60

55.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.08 CHF 38.07

$19.13 €16.73

146.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.56

$2.73 €2.38

15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.64

$2.38 €2.09

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 2.01

$2.08 €1.82

19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 CHF 4.46

$2.75 €2.41

100.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.96 €1.72

11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$1.79 €1.57

30.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CHF 2.09

$1.48 €1.29

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.00

$0.91 €0.80

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 8.94

$7.13 €6.24

54.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 CHF 10.22

$7.88 €6.89

60.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CHF 2.12

$1.38 €1.21

90.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 CHF 3.40

$2.39 €2.09

75.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 CHF 2.63

$3.01 €2.63

8.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 CHF 78.4

$29.35 €25.68

230.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 CHF 5.40

$4.36 €3.82

53.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.33 CHF 3.50

$2.13 €1.86

103.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 CHF 49.66

$29.60 €25.90

107.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.82 €1.59

21.98%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.8K

$37.9K €33.1K

7.14%

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

$37.0K CHF 29.9K

$32.4K €28.3K

14.21%

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

$203 CHF 164

$189 €165

7.51%

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

$29.66 CHF 23.98

$22.29 €19.50

33.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.56 CHF 40.07

$37.16 €32.51

33.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.0 CHF 60.7

$58.0 €50.8

29.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$18.57 CHF 15.01

$10.87 €9.51

70.84%

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

$1,255 CHF 1,015

$706 €618

77.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 28.2K

$14.9K €13.0K

134.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 CHF 99.5

$89.4 €78.3

37.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.26 CHF 38.21

$36.60 €32.02

29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 CHF 106

$104 €91.0

25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 CHF 123

$119 €104

27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 CHF 1,139

$1,579 €1,381

-10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 CHF 998

$1,238 €1,083

-0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,856 CHF 2,309

$2,712 €2,373

5.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 CHF 2,001

$2,039 €1,784

21.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,924 CHF 5,598

$2,364 €2,068

192.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.39

-26.25%

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

Last update for Mendrisio: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,409 in Mendrisio and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mendrisio pays 193% 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: $186 in Mendrisio vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $320 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

Mendrisio vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mendrisio and Barcelona differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,925 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 193% higher in Mendrisio, 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: $1,409 in Mendrisio versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,255 in Mendrisio versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Mendrisio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,925 in Mendrisio, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Mendrisio. 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, Mendrisio 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 26% less than in Mendrisio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.