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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,072 in Békéscsaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,587 in Békéscsaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,101 in Békéscsaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 121% more expensive than Békéscsaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Békéscsaba is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$5.78 Ft 1,782

204.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$40.94 Ft 12.6K

67.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$8.51 Ft 2,624

65.22%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.98 Ft 611

40.40%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.83 Ft 257

237.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.84 Ft 260

145.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$1.85 Ft 571

141.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$1.17 Ft 360

294.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.01 Ft 313

22.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.40 Ft 431

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.70 Ft 524

12.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.70 Ft 832

22.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$8.76 Ft 2,700

110.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$6.17 Ft 1,902

53.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$12.36 Ft 3,812

55.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.43 Ft 440

84.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.97 Ft 608

24.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.40 Ft 432

51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.77 Ft 545

61.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.02 Ft 315

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.18 Ft 363

56.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.60 Ft 186

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 Ft 172

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$6.93 Ft 2,137

3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$3.18 Ft 979

147.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.70 Ft 217

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$0.85 Ft 262

171.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$1.12 Ft 345

166.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$24.89 Ft 7,673

17.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$2.65 Ft 817

73.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.13 Ft 347

83.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$5.72 Ft 1,763

410.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.69 Ft 520

8.88%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$24.8K Ft 7.6M

57.40%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$33.9K Ft 10.5M

-3.64%

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

$188 €163

$173 Ft 53.3K

8.62%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$26.88 Ft 8,288

-14.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$19.98 Ft 6,161

83.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$46.42 Ft 14.3K

23.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$17.01 Ft 5,245

21.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$7.34 Ft 2,262

52.45%

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

$721 €625

$336 Ft 103.6K

114.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$3,470 Ft 1.1M

333.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$54.9 Ft 16.9K

57.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$27.50 Ft 8,478

34.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$63.6 Ft 19.6K

60.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$67.3 Ft 20.8K

72.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$455 Ft 140.2K

237.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$348 Ft 107.2K

251.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$627 Ft 193.3K

329.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$541 Ft 166.7K

272.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$1,625 Ft 501.0K

344.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$1,243 Ft 383.2K

317.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$1,453 Ft 448.0K

62.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.5

-54.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $455 in Békéscsaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 62% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Békéscsaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $195 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 121% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,072 including rent). Békéscsaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 62% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $455 in Békéscsaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $336 in Békéscsaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,072 in Békéscsaba versus $2,367 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 121% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.