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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,148 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,661 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,174 in Paks.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Paks is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$8.50 Ft 2,571

100.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$29.11 Ft 8,808

137.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.69 Ft 2,023

105.98%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$0.82 Ft 248

236.59%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.06 Ft 321

163.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.72 Ft 219

176.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.12 Ft 338

289.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.31 Ft 397

261.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.09 Ft 329

18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.54 Ft 466

33.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.84 Ft 557

8.15%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.95 Ft 893

14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.59 Ft 2,902

96.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.58 Ft 1,688

67.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.99 Ft 3,324

73.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.03 Ft 614

33.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.95 Ft 591

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.08 Ft 629

1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.21 Ft 1,273

-32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.39 Ft 419

41.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.29 Ft 391

39.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.47 Ft 446

-1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.49 Ft 149

75.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.24 Ft 2,191

-6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.61 Ft 2,001

19.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.14 Ft 344

21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.20 Ft 363

97.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.17 Ft 354

149.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$24.58 Ft 7,437

16.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.83 Ft 856

57.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.28 Ft 388

60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$17.35 Ft 5,250

70.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.76 Ft 533

3.41%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.3K Ft 9.5M

24.07%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$36.2K Ft 11.0M

-8.60%

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

$189 €163

$145 Ft 43.8K

30.82%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$30.24 Ft 9,149

-24.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$25.03 Ft 7,573

50.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$46.21 Ft 14.0K

24.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$16.68 Ft 5,047

24.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.84 Ft 2,372

38.01%

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

$728 €628

$460 Ft 139.3K

58.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,756 Ft 2.0M

118.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$87.6 Ft 26.5K

1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$26.14 Ft 7,909

40.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$95.0 Ft 28.7K

7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$105 Ft 31.7K

10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$454 Ft 137.3K

245.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$342 Ft 103.6K

255.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$628 Ft 189.9K

345.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$537 Ft 162.6K

267.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,305 Ft 999.9K

134.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,492 Ft 753.9K

107.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,361 Ft 411.7K

72.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-57.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Paks: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $454 in Paks. 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $226 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 104% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,148 including rent). Paks 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $454 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $460 in Paks. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,148 in Paks versus $2,337 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 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.