Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Békéscsaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Békéscsaba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,163 in Békéscsaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,704 in Békéscsaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,245 in Békéscsaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 115% more expensive than in Békéscsaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Békéscsaba is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$9.81 Ft 3,056

87.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.6

$45.43 Ft 14.2K

52.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$5.85 Ft 1,824

141.54%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$2.21 Ft 689

41.63%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$1.45 Ft 453

108.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.94 Ft 292

108.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.10 Ft 342

263.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

$1.28 Ft 400

271.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.24 Ft 387

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.58 Ft 491

36.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.24 Ft 699

-24.55%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$3.44 Ft 1,073

43.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$10.11 Ft 3,151

76.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$7.02 Ft 2,188

36.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.65

$15.02 Ft 4,681

28.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.08 Ft 648

55.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.26 Ft 705

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.63 Ft 509

63.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.88 Ft 899

-3.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.03 Ft 320

114.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.98 Ft 306

123.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.08 Ft 336

40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.54 Ft 168

70.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$8.45 Ft 2,634

-15.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

$3.16 Ft 984

157.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.03 Ft 321

45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.13 Ft 663

30.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.28 Ft 400

146.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.84 Ft 886

14.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.39 Ft 432

7.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.04

$6.48 Ft 2,020

438.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.94 Ft 603

-9.79%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$31.4K Ft 9.8M

16.64%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$35.9K Ft 11.2M

-13.85%

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

$188 €162

$173 Ft 54.1K

8.18%

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

$15.44 €13.29

$26.21 Ft 8,169

-41.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.54

$22.64 Ft 7,057

66.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.22

$35.28 Ft 11.0K

62.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.46

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.97

$9.83 Ft 3,063

17.80%

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

$1,003 €863

$558 Ft 174.0K

79.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$17.1K Ft 5.3M

-0.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

$110 Ft 34.3K

-18.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.18

$31.77 Ft 9,902

28.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.7

$63.6 Ft 19.8K

72.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$121 Ft 37.6K

1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

$432 Ft 134.6K

287.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$353 Ft 110.2K

276.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$574 Ft 178.8K

352.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,679

$447 Ft 139.4K

336.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,519

$1,591 Ft 495.9K

376.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,623

$1,221 Ft 380.7K

339.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,068

$1,430 Ft 445.7K

67.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.68

-52.69%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $432 in Békéscsaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 68% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $45.00 in Békéscsaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $238 per month, with Békéscsaba 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

Barcelona vs Békéscsaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Békéscsaba differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,163 including rent). Békéscsaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $432 in Békéscsaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $558 in Békéscsaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Békéscsaba – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,163 in Békéscsaba versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Békéscsaba but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Békéscsaba 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, Barcelona and Békéscsaba 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 Békéscsaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.