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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,208 in Pecs.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,808 in Pecs.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,409 in Pecs.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 94% more expensive than Pecs, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Pecs is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$8.39 Ft 2,608

109.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$43.65 Ft 13.6K

57.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$8.66 Ft 2,692

58.78%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.18 Ft 676

26.61%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.15 Ft 358

141.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.92 Ft 287

122.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.59 Ft 495

189.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$2.13 Ft 663

115.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.06 Ft 330

20.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.54 Ft 479

37.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.91 Ft 595

3.14%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.46 Ft 766

39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$9.12 Ft 2,834

106.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$5.87 Ft 1,825

60.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$14.15 Ft 4,398

34.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.00 Ft 623

36.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.10 Ft 653

12.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.21 Ft 688

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.64 Ft 1,133

-24.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.26 Ft 393

56.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.29 Ft 400

38.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.80 Ft 558

-16.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.53 Ft 165

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$7.08 Ft 2,201

-4.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$4.74 Ft 1,475

59.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.20 Ft 374

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.09 Ft 651

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.42 Ft 440

113.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$24.05 Ft 7,475

18.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$3.08 Ft 958

43.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.12 Ft 348

83.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$23.05 Ft 7,166

27.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.78 Ft 552

6.18%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$27.7K Ft 8.6M

39.94%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$31.1K Ft 9.7M

3.94%

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

$189 €161

$162 Ft 50.3K

16.55%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$26.96 Ft 8,380

-17.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$19.86 Ft 6,174

85.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$44.04 Ft 13.7K

31.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$21.55 Ft 6,699

-2.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$7.75 Ft 2,408

42.58%

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

$726 €620

$398 Ft 123.7K

82.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$7,079 Ft 2.2M

115.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$91.4 Ft 28.4K

-3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$44.02 Ft 13.7K

-15.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$94.0 Ft 29.2K

9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$103 Ft 31.9K

16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$508 Ft 157.8K

200.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$369 Ft 114.8K

229.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$697 Ft 216.8K

300.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$559 Ft 173.6K

263.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$3,500 Ft 1.1M

102.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$2,978 Ft 925.8K

62.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$1,141 Ft 354.6K

110.76%

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 Pecs: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $508 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 111% 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 $320 vs $232 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 94% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,208 including rent). Pecs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 111% 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 $508 in Pecs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $398 in Pecs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Pecs versus $2,341 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 94% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.