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: $2,809 in Sion versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,764 in Sion versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,719 in Sion versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Sion is roughly 19% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sion 110% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.49 CHF 24.04

$17.58 €15.12

73.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 96.0

$68.4 €58.9

77.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.18 CHF 14.33

$14.06 €12.09

29.30%

Cappuccino

$4.59 CHF 3.62

$2.78 €2.39

65.11%

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

$5.12 CHF 4.03

$2.80 €2.41

82.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 CHF 3.33

$2.06 €1.78

105.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 CHF 5.65

$4.46 €3.84

60.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.88

$4.61 €3.96

61.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 CHF 1.44

$1.24 €1.07

47.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 CHF 3.04

$2.03 €1.74

90.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.92 CHF 3.88

$1.92 €1.65

156.25%

Eggs

$5.96 CHF 4.70

$3.31 €2.85

80.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.37 CHF 22.37

$18.43 €15.85

53.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.36 CHF 18.41

$9.49 €8.16

146.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.20 CHF 34.85

$19.16 €16.48

130.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CHF 2.68

$2.64 €2.27

28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$2.45 €2.11

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$2.12 €1.82

69.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 CHF 4.84

$2.85 €2.45

115.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.48

$2.04 €1.75

54.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.35

$1.85 €1.59

61.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.01

$1.47 €1.26

72.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.95

$0.84 €0.73

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 8.83

$7.14 €6.14

56.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 CHF 11.09

$7.88 €6.78

78.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CHF 1.47

$1.38 €1.19

35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 CHF 1.46

$2.31 €1.99

-19.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.28 CHF 4.16

$2.98 €2.56

77.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 CHF 147

$29.26 €25.17

537.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 CHF 4.89

$4.60 €3.95

34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.36

$2.07 €1.78

105.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.76 CHF 39.23

$29.18 €25.10

70.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$1.84 €1.58

20.65%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

2.52%

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

$38.4K CHF 30.3K

$32.7K €28.1K

17.46%

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

$309 CHF 243

$188 €162

64.29%

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

$37.41 CHF 29.50

$22.93 €19.73

63.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CHF 47.62

$36.71 €31.58

64.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$138 CHF 109

$57.4 €49.35

140.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.6 CHF 43.07

$20.70 €17.80

163.91%

Cinema Ticket

$22.52 CHF 17.76

$11.19 €9.63

101.25%

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

$994 CHF 783

$721 €620

37.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.6K

$15.0K €12.9K

132.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 107

$86.2 €74.2

56.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CHF 48.34

$37.07 €31.89

65.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 127

$102 €87.8

57.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$225 CHF 177

$116 €99.7

94.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 CHF 676

$1,534 €1,319

-44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 CHF 586

$1,220 €1,050

-39.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 CHF 1,341

$2,696 €2,319

-36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 CHF 1,488

$2,013 €1,732

-6.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,796 CHF 6,147

$7,220 €6,211

7.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,773 CHF 4,551

$5,189 €4,463

11.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,200 CHF 4,888

$2,359 €2,029

162.78%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $857 in Sion and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sion pays 163% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $595 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

Sion vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sion and Barcelona differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,809 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sion pays 163% 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: $857 in Sion versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $994 in Sion versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Sion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,809 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 19% less than in Sion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.