Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,806 in Sion versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,758 in Sion versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,709 in Sion versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Sion is roughly 21% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sion 110% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.60 CHF 24.74

$17.66 €15.45

73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 98.8

$69.7 €61.0

75.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.01 CHF 14.56

$14.16 €12.39

27.19%

Cappuccino

$4.67 CHF 3.77

$2.80 €2.45

66.79%

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

$5.08 CHF 4.11

$2.81 €2.46

80.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 CHF 3.54

$2.06 €1.81

112.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 CHF 6.14

$4.60 €4.02

65.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CHF 5.80

$4.69 €4.10

52.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 CHF 1.50

$1.23 €1.08

50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 CHF 3.09

$2.03 €1.78

88.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.07

$1.98 €1.73

154.55%

Eggs

$6.20 CHF 5.01

$3.49 €3.05

77.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.38 CHF 22.14

$18.33 €16.04

49.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.80 CHF 19.25

$9.83 €8.60

142.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.05 CHF 35.62

$19.13 €16.73

130.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.89

$2.73 €2.38

31.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.20

$2.38 €2.09

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 CHF 2.94

$2.08 €1.82

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.34 CHF 5.13

$2.75 €2.41

130.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.54

$1.96 €1.72

60.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.28

$1.79 €1.57

57.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.05

$1.48 €1.29

71.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.01

$0.91 €0.80

37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 8.89

$7.13 €6.24

54.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 CHF 10.99

$7.88 €6.89

72.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CHF 1.47

$1.38 €1.21

31.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CHF 1.52

$2.39 €2.09

-21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.14 CHF 4.15

$3.01 €2.63

70.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$181 CHF 147

$29.35 €25.68

518.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 CHF 5.09

$4.36 €3.82

44.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.24 CHF 3.43

$2.13 €1.86

99.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.32 CHF 39.87

$29.60 €25.90

66.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.82 €1.59

23.08%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

$37.9K €33.1K

7.85%

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

$37.6K CHF 30.4K

$32.4K €28.3K

16.18%

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

$307 CHF 248

$189 €165

62.37%

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

$37.36 CHF 30.20

$22.29 €19.50

67.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 47.71

$37.16 €32.51

58.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$140 CHF 113

$58.0 €50.8

141.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.6 CHF 44.91

$20.66 €18.08

168.88%

Cinema Ticket

$22.42 CHF 18.12

$10.87 €9.51

106.26%

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

$985 CHF 796

$706 €618

39.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 28.4K

$14.9K €13.0K

136.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 107

$89.4 €78.3

48.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 CHF 49.15

$36.60 €32.02

66.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 127

$104 €91.0

50.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$223 CHF 180

$119 €104

86.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 CHF 706

$1,579 €1,381

-44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 CHF 601

$1,238 €1,083

-39.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 CHF 1,386

$2,712 €2,373

-36.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 CHF 1,554

$2,039 €1,784

-5.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,432 CHF 6,009

$7,527 €6,585

-1.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,527 CHF 4,469

$5,239 €4,584

5.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,940 CHF 4,802

$2,364 €2,068

151.27%

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 Sion: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Sion and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sion pays 151% 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 Sion vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $596 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

Sion vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sion and Barcelona differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,806 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 151% higher in Sion, 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: $873 in Sion versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $985 in Sion 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 86% higher in Sion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,806 in Sion, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Sion. 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, Sion 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 21% less than in Sion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.