Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Esztergom Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Esztergom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,157 in Esztergom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,723 in Esztergom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,289 in Esztergom.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 104% more expensive than in Esztergom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Esztergom is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$8.81 Ft 2,777

94.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$42.84 Ft 13.5K

58.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.47 Ft 2,668

61.04%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.03 Ft 639

36.95%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.42 Ft 449

98.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.20 Ft 380

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.91 Ft 601

131.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.31 Ft 729

99.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.01 Ft 318

25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.57 Ft 496

35.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.92 Ft 605

3.65%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.72 Ft 857

23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.42 Ft 2,968

101.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.03 Ft 1,900

58.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.33 Ft 3,884

51.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.72 Ft 543

54.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.98 Ft 625

18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.85 Ft 582

12.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.33 Ft 1,049

-18.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.10 Ft 346

78.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.42 Ft 448

27.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.68 Ft 529

-10.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.54 Ft 170

64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.90 Ft 2,173

-1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.30 Ft 1,984

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.15 Ft 362

19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.71 Ft 537

40.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.14 Ft 358

155.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$25.30 Ft 7,972

13.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.57 Ft 809

78.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.11 Ft 348

83.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$13.60 Ft 4,284

111.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.75 Ft 551

4.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$24.8K Ft 7.8M

58.42%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.8K Ft 11.0M

-6.58%

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

$187 €162

$196 Ft 61.8K

-4.80%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$26.80 Ft 8,444

-16.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$20.03 Ft 6,310

81.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$45.91 Ft 14.5K

25.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.63 Ft 5,239

24.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.15 Ft 2,253

50.63%

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

$725 €628

$327 Ft 103.0K

121.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,465 Ft 1.1M

337.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$56.3 Ft 17.8K

55.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$27.47 Ft 8,656

34.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$62.1 Ft 19.6K

66.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$66.0 Ft 20.8K

79.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$445 Ft 140.2K

242.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$349 Ft 109.9K

251.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$629 Ft 198.1K

333.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$538 Ft 169.6K

268.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,665 Ft 839.6K

180.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,411 Ft 759.6K

117.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,202 Ft 378.8K

99.00%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Esztergom: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $445 in Esztergom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 99% 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 $43.00 in Esztergom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $225 per month, with Esztergom 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 Esztergom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Esztergom differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,157 including rent). Esztergom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 99% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $445 in Esztergom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $327 in Esztergom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,157 in Esztergom versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Esztergom but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Esztergom 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 Esztergom 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 Esztergom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.