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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,123 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,677 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,230 in Paks.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than in Paks, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Paks is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$8.86 Ft 2,793

93.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$28.63 Ft 9,021

137.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.01 Ft 2,210

94.58%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$0.83 Ft 261

234.94%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.07 Ft 337

163.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.67 Ft 212

192.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.16 Ft 366

281.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.33 Ft 418

246.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.13 Ft 356

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.49 Ft 469

42.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.86 Ft 587

6.99%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.93 Ft 923

15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.56 Ft 3,011

98.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.62 Ft 1,772

69.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.11 Ft 3,499

68.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.96 Ft 618

35.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.04 Ft 644

15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.03 Ft 638

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.15 Ft 1,309

-34.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.40 Ft 440

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.30 Ft 408

39.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.47 Ft 463

2.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.50 Ft 156

78.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.18 Ft 2,264

-5.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.42 Ft 2,021

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.11 Ft 349

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.21 Ft 381

98.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.13 Ft 355

157.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$24.54 Ft 7,733

16.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.94 Ft 928

55.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.28 Ft 402

59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$17.17 Ft 5,409

67.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.74 Ft 548

4.60%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.2K Ft 10.2M

21.94%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$36.8K Ft 11.6M

-11.64%

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

$187 €162

$147 Ft 46.4K

26.85%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$30.03 Ft 9,461

-25.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$24.49 Ft 7,716

48.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$47.22 Ft 14.9K

21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$16.59 Ft 5,228

25.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$8.07 Ft 2,544

33.46%

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

$725 €628

$469 Ft 147.8K

54.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,763 Ft 2.1M

124.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$89.2 Ft 28.1K

-1.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$25.49 Ft 8,032

44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$95.7 Ft 30.1K

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$104 Ft 32.7K

14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$449 Ft 141.4K

239.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$340 Ft 107.2K

260.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$625 Ft 197.0K

336.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$543 Ft 171.0K

265.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,079 Ft 970.1K

142.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,324 Ft 732.4K

125.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,308 Ft 412.2K

82.89%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Paks: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $449 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 83% 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 $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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,123 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 83% 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 $449 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $469 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 $1,123 in Paks versus $2,359 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 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.