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: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $1,057 in Békéscsaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,590 in Békéscsaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,122 in Békéscsaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 119% more expensive than in Békéscsaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Békéscsaba is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$5.92 Ft 1,887

190.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$39.91 Ft 12.7K

77.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.29

$8.83 Ft 2,813

58.78%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$1.97 Ft 628

41.12%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.88 Ft 281

215.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.83 Ft 263

146.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$1.90 Ft 606

137.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.09

$1.14 Ft 362

309.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.01 Ft 323

27.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.43 Ft 456

49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.78 Ft 567

8.43%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.73 Ft 870

27.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.23

$8.83 Ft 2,812

109.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.35

$6.18 Ft 1,970

54.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.56

$12.68 Ft 4,039

49.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.43 Ft 455

83.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.97 Ft 626

18.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.45 Ft 462

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.69 Ft 538

68.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.99 Ft 315

97.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.18 Ft 375

56.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$0.56 Ft 177

173.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.60 Ft 192

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.93

$7.11 Ft 2,264

-4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.82

$3.18 Ft 1,014

144.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.70 Ft 222

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$0.84 Ft 267

176.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.62

$1.17 Ft 373

156.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.08

$24.70 Ft 7,867

15.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$2.60 Ft 830

76.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.15 Ft 368

85.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.89

$5.81 Ft 1,851

408.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.69 Ft 538

6.51%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$24.7K Ft 7.9M

55.83%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$34.2K Ft 10.9M

-2.67%

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

$185 €162

$176 Ft 56.0K

5.23%

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

$22.68 €19.87

$26.78 Ft 8,530

-15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.22

$19.34 Ft 6,159

90.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.6

$47.69 Ft 15.2K

21.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.57

$17.10 Ft 5,447

23.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$7.24 Ft 2,308

49.59%

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

$727 €637

$326 Ft 104.0K

122.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$3,392 Ft 1.1M

334.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.7

$55.9 Ft 17.8K

56.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.74

$27.56 Ft 8,778

35.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$63.0 Ft 20.1K

63.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$66.4 Ft 21.1K

78.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,367

$448 Ft 142.7K

248.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,070

$342 Ft 109.0K

256.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,402

$645 Ft 205.6K

324.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,745

$529 Ft 168.6K

276.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,562

$1,601 Ft 510.1K

367.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,562

$1,218 Ft 388.1K

327.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,063

$1,396 Ft 444.8K

68.64%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $448 in Békéscsaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 69% 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: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Békéscsaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $197 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,057 including rent). Békéscsaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $448 in Békéscsaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $326 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 $1,057 in Békéscsaba versus $2,316 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 119% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.