Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pecs Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pecs

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,178 in Pecs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,771 in Pecs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,364 in Pecs.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 98% more expensive than Pecs, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Pecs is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$8.52 Ft 2,577

100.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$43.59 Ft 13.2K

58.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$8.88 Ft 2,685

55.18%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.22 Ft 672

24.32%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.14 Ft 345

144.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.93 Ft 282

113.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.57 Ft 474

177.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.12 Ft 643

123.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.10 Ft 333

17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.56 Ft 473

31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.85 Ft 559

7.57%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.44 Ft 738

38.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.49 Ft 2,871

98.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.09 Ft 1,843

53.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$14.07 Ft 4,258

35.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.92 Ft 581

40.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.08 Ft 630

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.19 Ft 662

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.49 Ft 1,056

-18.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.21 Ft 366

62.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.23 Ft 372

46.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.78 Ft 538

-18.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.58 Ft 175

48.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.11 Ft 2,152

-4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$4.93 Ft 1,491

60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.16 Ft 351

19.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.03 Ft 613

16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.42 Ft 431

105.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$24.79 Ft 7,499

15.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.23 Ft 978

38.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.16 Ft 349

76.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$22.69 Ft 6,864

30.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.68 Ft 508

8.33%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$27.5K Ft 8.3M

41.06%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$31.4K Ft 9.5M

5.42%

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

$189 €163

$161 Ft 48.8K

17.30%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$27.67 Ft 8,372

-17.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$19.37 Ft 5,861

94.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$43.45 Ft 13.1K

32.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$21.36 Ft 6,463

-2.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$8.09 Ft 2,447

33.75%

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

$728 €628

$410 Ft 123.9K

77.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$7,176 Ft 2.2M

105.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$90.7 Ft 27.5K

-2.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$45.11 Ft 13.6K

-18.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$93.9 Ft 28.4K

8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$102 Ft 30.8K

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$490 Ft 148.2K

220.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$364 Ft 110.0K

235.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$679 Ft 205.3K

311.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$565 Ft 171.0K

249.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,588 Ft 1.1M

116.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$3,073 Ft 929.8K

68.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,123 Ft 339.9K

108.60%

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 Pecs: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $490 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 109% 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 $44.00 in Pecs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $233 per month, with Pecs 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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pecs differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,178 including rent). Pecs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 109% 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 $490 in Pecs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $410 in Pecs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,178 in Pecs versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pecs but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pecs 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 Pecs 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 Pecs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.