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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,195 in Pecs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,782 in Pecs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,369 in Pecs.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Pecs is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$8.43 Ft 2,669

103.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$42.85 Ft 13.6K

58.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$8.42 Ft 2,664

62.00%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.21 Ft 700

25.79%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$1.13 Ft 359

149.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.91 Ft 287

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$1.54 Ft 488

187.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$2.22 Ft 704

107.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.10 Ft 347

15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.57 Ft 496

35.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.90 Ft 600

4.74%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.55 Ft 806

32.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$9.20 Ft 2,912

106.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$5.91 Ft 1,870

61.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$14.48 Ft 4,580

29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.02 Ft 639

31.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.01 Ft 636

16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.10 Ft 666

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.53 Ft 1,116

-22.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.23 Ft 388

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.23 Ft 389

47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.79 Ft 566

-15.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.54 Ft 172

64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$7.25 Ft 2,295

-6.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$4.72 Ft 1,492

67.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.22 Ft 387

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.03 Ft 641

18.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.47 Ft 465

97.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$24.74 Ft 7,826

15.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$3.15 Ft 997

45.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.11 Ft 352

83.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$22.59 Ft 7,147

27.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.70 Ft 539

7.06%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$26.9K Ft 8.5M

46.03%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$31.6K Ft 10.0M

2.64%

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

$187 €163

$163 Ft 51.4K

14.84%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$27.71 Ft 8,769

-19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$19.50 Ft 6,171

86.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$44.25 Ft 14.0K

30.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$21.90 Ft 6,929

-5.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$7.98 Ft 2,525

34.96%

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

$725 €632

$402 Ft 127.1K

80.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$7,197 Ft 2.3M

110.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$93.0 Ft 29.4K

-5.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$43.52 Ft 13.8K

-15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$94.2 Ft 29.8K

9.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$102 Ft 32.3K

16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$489 Ft 154.8K

211.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$368 Ft 116.4K

233.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$674 Ft 213.4K

304.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$561 Ft 177.6K

253.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$3,479 Ft 1.1M

114.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$2,891 Ft 914.7K

81.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,108 Ft 350.4K

116.01%

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 Pecs: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $489 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 116% 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 $43.00 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 ($2,359 vs $1,195 including rent). Pecs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 116% 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 $489 in Pecs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $402 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 $1,195 in Pecs versus $2,359 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.