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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,672 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,201 in Paks.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 105% more expensive than Paks, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Paks is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$8.40 Ft 2,622

109.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$28.60 Ft 8,925

140.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.03 Ft 2,193

95.59%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$0.87 Ft 272

217.24%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.08 Ft 337

157.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.71 Ft 223

188.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.12 Ft 351

311.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.32 Ft 412

247.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.08 Ft 338

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.53 Ft 477

37.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.80 Ft 561

9.44%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.86 Ft 892

20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.48 Ft 2,958

98.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.61 Ft 1,750

68.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.22 Ft 3,501

69.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.03 Ft 634

33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.97 Ft 613

20.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.12 Ft 660

-1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.21 Ft 1,315

-34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.38 Ft 432

42.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.29 Ft 403

38.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.48 Ft 463

2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.53 Ft 166

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.41 Ft 2,313

-8.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.46 Ft 2,015

16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.14 Ft 354

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.23 Ft 384

95.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.12 Ft 348

170.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$25.08 Ft 7,825

13.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.92 Ft 910

51.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.26 Ft 394

62.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$17.33 Ft 5,406

69.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.77 Ft 551

6.78%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$32.2K Ft 10.0M

20.33%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$36.8K Ft 11.5M

-12.08%

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

$189 €161

$145 Ft 45.3K

29.87%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$29.97 Ft 9,352

-25.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$24.24 Ft 7,565

51.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$46.58 Ft 14.5K

24.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$16.77 Ft 5,232

25.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.86 Ft 2,453

40.59%

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

$726 €622

$460 Ft 143.7K

57.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,679 Ft 2.1M

127.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$88.1 Ft 27.5K

0.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$25.56 Ft 7,974

44.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$94.7 Ft 29.6K

8.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$108 Ft 33.6K

10.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$442 Ft 137.8K

245.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$347 Ft 108.3K

250.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$623 Ft 194.4K

348.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$533 Ft 166.2K

280.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,198 Ft 997.7K

121.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,436 Ft 759.9K

99.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,370 Ft 427.6K

75.43%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Paks: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $442 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 75% 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 $320 vs $227 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 105% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,143 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 75% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $442 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 $1,143 in Paks versus $2,341 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 105% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.