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: $3,172 in Schaffhausen versus $2,316 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,928 in Schaffhausen versus $3,458 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,685 in Schaffhausen versus $4,601 in Barcelona.

Living in Schaffhausen is roughly 37% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 137% above, Barcelona 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.30 CHF 25.55

$17.19 €15.08

82.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.4

$70.7 €62.1

72.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.11 CHF 13.15

$14.02 €12.30

14.91%

Cappuccino

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$2.78 €2.44

104.32%

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

$5.36 CHF 4.37

$2.78 €2.44

92.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.57

$2.05 €1.79

113.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 CHF 6.52

$4.52 €3.96

76.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 CHF 6.18

$4.67 €4.10

62.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CHF 1.60

$1.29 €1.13

51.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 CHF 3.09

$2.14 €1.87

76.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$1.93 €1.70

91.19%

Eggs

$7.84 CHF 6.40

$3.49 €3.06

124.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.80 CHF 24.32

$18.52 €16.25

60.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.49 CHF 28.97

$9.53 €8.36

272.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.0 CHF 41.59

$18.90 €16.58

169.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.01

$2.62 €2.30

40.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.84

$2.34 €2.05

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.35

$2.08 €1.83

38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.10 CHF 4.98

$2.85 €2.50

114.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$1.96 €1.72

27.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 2.03

$1.85 €1.62

34.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CHF 2.18

$1.53 €1.34

74.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.04

$0.90 €0.79

41.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.93

$6.77 €5.94

61.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 CHF 10.95

$7.79 €6.83

72.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.11

$1.38 €1.21

-1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 CHF 2.12

$2.32 €2.04

12.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.22

$3.00 €2.63

31.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 69.9

$28.62 €25.11

199.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 CHF 8.20

$4.58 €4.01

119.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.04 CHF 3.30

$2.13 €1.86

89.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$29.55 €25.93

109.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.74

$1.80 €1.58

18.33%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

$38.5K €33.7K

3.23%

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

$42.4K CHF 34.6K

$33.3K €29.2K

27.58%

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

$247 CHF 202

$185 €162

33.65%

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

$28.70 CHF 23.42

$22.68 €19.90

26.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 CHF 35.05

$36.78 €32.27

16.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 CHF 88.6

$57.8 €50.7

87.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.47 CHF 38.74

$21.19 €18.59

124.02%

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 18.24

$10.83 €9.50

106.28%

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

$3,354 CHF 2,738

$727 €638

361.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.5K CHF 35.5K

$14.7K €12.9K

194.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 CHF 91.4

$87.6 €76.8

27.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.7 CHF 55.2

$37.37 €32.78

81.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 CHF 109

$103 €90.6

28.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 CHF 126

$119 €104

30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CHF 1,001

$1,560 €1,369

-21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 CHF 1,018

$1,221 €1,071

2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 CHF 2,171

$2,742 €2,406

-3.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 CHF 1,808

$1,992 €1,747

11.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,226 CHF 6,714

$7,489 €6,571

9.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,564 CHF 6,990

$5,207 €4,568

64.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,453 CHF 6,083

$2,355 €2,066

216.53%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Schaffhausen and $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 217% 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: $122 in Schaffhausen vs $71.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $675 vs $319 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 37% in total monthly costs ($3,172 vs $2,316 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 217% higher in Schaffhausen, 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: $1,226 in Schaffhausen versus $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,354 in Schaffhausen versus $727 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Schaffhausen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Barcelona versus $3,172 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 37% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.