Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Paks Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Paks

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,189 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,788 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,387 in Paks.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 108% more expensive than in Paks, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Paks is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$8.82 Ft 2,806

112.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$31.35 Ft 9,975

121.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.50 Ft 2,386

83.60%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$0.89 Ft 283

248.31%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.21 Ft 384

133.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.82 Ft 262

129.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.23 Ft 393

223.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.92 Ft 610

135.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.20 Ft 381

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.67 Ft 212

222.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.52 Ft 803

-30.16%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.29 Ft 1,047

55.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.37 Ft 3,616

57.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.26 Ft 1,991

54.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.71 Ft 4,362

46.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.87 Ft 595

73.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.12 Ft 673

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.21 Ft 704

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.00 Ft 1,273

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.55 Ft 175

301.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.55 Ft 175

285.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.62 Ft 517

-4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.49 Ft 154

93.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$8.08 Ft 2,572

-9.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.21 Ft 1,976

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.30 Ft 414

18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.68 Ft 535

66.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.24 Ft 393

150.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$31.24 Ft 9,937

-17.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.22 Ft 1,023

1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.60 Ft 508

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$18.95 Ft 6,027

80.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.93 Ft 613

-10.36%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.7K Ft 10.7M

8.03%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$36.8K Ft 11.7M

-17.02%

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

$187 €163

$138 Ft 43.7K

36.06%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$10.95 Ft 3,483

38.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$12.42 Ft 3,952

203.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$51.4 Ft 16.4K

8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$17.69 Ft 5,629

-3.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.99 Ft 2,543

42.80%

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

$997 €869

$506 Ft 161.0K

96.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,312 Ft 2.6M

98.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$91.3 Ft 29.0K

1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$14.42 Ft 4,589

185.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$103 Ft 32.7K

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$113 Ft 35.8K

11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$530 Ft 168.7K

221.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$407 Ft 129.5K

215.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$776 Ft 246.9K

230.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$664 Ft 211.1K

192.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,113 Ft 990.3K

145.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,729 Ft 868.2K

89.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,330 Ft 423.2K

76.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.25

-61.70%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Paks: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $530 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 77% 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 $31.00 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $237 per month, with Paks 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 Paks: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Paks differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,189 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $530 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $506 in Paks. 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 $1,189 in Paks versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Paks 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 Paks 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 Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.