Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,151 in Schaffhausen versus $2,336 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,931 in Schaffhausen versus $3,475 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,712 in Schaffhausen versus $4,614 in Barcelona.

Living in Schaffhausen is roughly 35% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 135% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.31 CHF 24.55

$17.45 €14.88

79.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 98.1

$69.8 €59.6

79.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 CHF 12.43

$13.91 €11.86

14.02%

Cappuccino

$5.43 CHF 4.26

$2.74 €2.34

98.18%

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

$5.42 CHF 4.25

$2.70 €2.30

100.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 CHF 3.47

$2.03 €1.73

117.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 CHF 6.43

$4.51 €3.85

81.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 CHF 5.95

$4.61 €3.93

64.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 CHF 1.49

$1.28 €1.09

48.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 CHF 2.97

$2.10 €1.79

80.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.79

$1.99 €1.70

78.39%

Eggs

$7.66 CHF 6.01

$3.45 €2.95

122.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.66 CHF 23.25

$18.61 €15.87

59.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.28 CHF 27.66

$9.41 €8.03

274.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.8 CHF 40.59

$18.70 €15.95

176.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CHF 2.95

$2.61 €2.22

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.76

$2.39 €2.04

-6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.25

$2.19 €1.86

31.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 CHF 4.72

$2.81 €2.40

114.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$2.03 €1.73

21.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.92

$1.87 €1.60

30.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CHF 2.10

$1.45 €1.24

84.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.01

$0.92 €0.79

39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 8.85

$6.82 €5.82

65.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 CHF 10.90

$7.71 €6.58

80.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.07

$1.38 €1.18

-1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 CHF 2.15

$2.33 €1.99

18.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 CHF 2.97

$2.88 €2.46

31.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 CHF 66.7

$29.04 €24.77

193.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 CHF 7.91

$4.43 €3.78

127.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$2.14 €1.82

92.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.3 CHF 48.83

$28.96 €24.71

115.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.69

$1.90 €1.62

13.16%

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

$40.9K CHF 32.0K

$37.9K €32.3K

7.81%

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

$42.5K CHF 33.3K

$33.3K €28.4K

27.59%

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

$242 CHF 190

$186 €158

30.55%

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

$28.69 CHF 22.49

$22.17 €18.91

29.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.53 CHF 34.13

$36.52 €31.15

19.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 85.7

$58.4 €49.81

87.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.51 CHF 37.25

$20.75 €17.70

128.96%

Cinema Ticket

$22.50 CHF 17.64

$11.10 €9.47

102.70%

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

$3,325 CHF 2,607

$705 €601

371.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.6K CHF 34.1K

$15.2K €13.0K

186.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 CHF 87.9

$86.4 €73.7

29.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 CHF 53.5

$36.88 €31.46

85.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 CHF 102

$104 €88.8

24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 CHF 124

$115 €98.4

37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CHF 952

$1,538 €1,312

-21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 CHF 957

$1,242 €1,060

-1.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 CHF 2,159

$2,728 €2,327

0.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 CHF 1,696

$2,011 €1,716

7.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,567 CHF 6,717

$7,155 €6,104

19.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,910 CHF 5,417

$4,843 €4,131

42.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,437 CHF 7,398

$2,474 €2,111

281.40%

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 Schaffhausen: April 20, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Schaffhausen and $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 281% 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: $125 in Schaffhausen vs $70 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $675 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

Schaffhausen vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaffhausen and Barcelona differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($3,151 vs $2,336 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Schaffhausen pays 281% 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: $1,214 in Schaffhausen versus $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,325 in Schaffhausen versus $705 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Schaffhausen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $3,151 in Schaffhausen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Schaffhausen. 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, Schaffhausen 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 35% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.