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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,071 in Békéscsaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,577 in Békéscsaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $2,083 in Békéscsaba.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 118% more expensive than Békéscsaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Békéscsaba is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$5.84 Ft 1,818

198.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$40.92 Ft 12.7K

70.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$8.42 Ft 2,621

65.20%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$2.02 Ft 629

35.64%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$0.84 Ft 261

221.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.87 Ft 272

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$1.92 Ft 598

134.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.17 Ft 365

294.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.02 Ft 317

25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.47 Ft 458

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.77 Ft 552

12.43%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.71 Ft 844

27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$8.48 Ft 2,637

119.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$6.02 Ft 1,872

56.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$12.33 Ft 3,836

51.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.40 Ft 436

86.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.98 Ft 615

20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$1.47 Ft 456

48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$1.75 Ft 545

60.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.03 Ft 319

97.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.12 Ft 347

66.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$0.59 Ft 185

145.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.59 Ft 185

55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$6.94 Ft 2,159

-1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$3.15 Ft 981

144.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.70 Ft 218

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$0.84 Ft 262

177.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.16 Ft 361

148.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$25.39 Ft 7,899

14.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.62 Ft 814

69.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.16 Ft 362

84.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$5.72 Ft 1,779

406.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.75 Ft 545

8.57%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$24.6K Ft 7.6M

54.30%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$34.2K Ft 10.6M

-2.58%

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

$186 €158

$175 Ft 54.5K

5.94%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$26.28 Ft 8,177

-15.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$19.73 Ft 6,139

85.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$46.99 Ft 14.6K

24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$16.97 Ft 5,280

22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$7.09 Ft 2,207

56.56%

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

$705 €601

$326 Ft 101.6K

115.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,391 Ft 1.1M

348.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$54.4 Ft 16.9K

58.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$26.80 Ft 8,339

37.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$62.7 Ft 19.5K

65.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$66.0 Ft 20.5K

74.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$454 Ft 141.2K

238.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$344 Ft 107.1K

260.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$631 Ft 196.4K

332.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$542 Ft 168.5K

271.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$1,620 Ft 504.0K

341.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$1,230 Ft 382.6K

293.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$1,442 Ft 448.8K

71.53%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $454 in Békéscsaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 72% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $41 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 118% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,071 including rent). Békéscsaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 72% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $454 in Békéscsaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 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 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,071 in Békéscsaba versus $2,336 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 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.