Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szeged Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szeged

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,053 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,625 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,196 in Szeged.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 122% more expensive than Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Szeged is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.80

$7.73 Ft 2,386

120.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €60.0

$45.19 Ft 13.9K

53.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.95

$5.61 Ft 1,733

145.63%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.39

$1.97 Ft 607

40.10%

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

$2.79 €2.42

$1.36 Ft 421

105.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.93 Ft 286

113.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.78

$2.36 Ft 729

84.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.11

$2.18 Ft 672

117.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.07 Ft 332

20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.54 Ft 475

33.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.77 Ft 547

12.43%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.94

$2.91 Ft 899

16.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.31

$8.07 Ft 2,492

133.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.12

$5.95 Ft 1,837

57.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.57

$11.31 Ft 3,493

69.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.85 Ft 571

45.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.86 Ft 575

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.03 Ft 625

4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.90 Ft 895

-1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.02 Ft 315

93.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.19 Ft 368

51.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.39 Ft 430

4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.47 Ft 145

82.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.52 Ft 2,320

-9.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.85

$5.31 Ft 1,638

48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.93 Ft 287

49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.24 Ft 383

91.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$1.61 Ft 498

81.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.86

$28.00 Ft 8,642

2.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.86

$2.90 Ft 896

53.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.28 Ft 395

60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.61

$17.38 Ft 5,365

70.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.75 Ft 540

4.00%

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

$38.8K €33.7K

$25.5K Ft 7.9M

51.99%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$25.6K Ft 7.9M

29.51%

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

$189 €164

$104 Ft 32.2K

81.27%

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

$22.80 €19.76

$25.12 Ft 7,754

-9.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.58

$18.72 Ft 5,778

100.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.1

$40.21 Ft 12.4K

43.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.98

$19.90 Ft 6,143

4.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.38

$7.78 Ft 2,401

39.07%

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

$728 €631

$221 Ft 68.2K

229.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.8K

$6,372 Ft 2.0M

131.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.8

$90.3 Ft 27.9K

-1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.94

$26.11 Ft 8,060

41.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.4

$85.8 Ft 26.5K

18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$105 Ft 32.4K

10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,360

$441 Ft 136.0K

256.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,056

$344 Ft 106.1K

254.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,423

$677 Ft 209.0K

312.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,712

$537 Ft 165.7K

267.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,720

$3,386 Ft 1.0M

129.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,486

$2,456 Ft 758.0K

110.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,031

$1,328 Ft 409.8K

76.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.85

-42.05%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Szeged: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $441 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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 $45.00 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $210 per month, with Szeged 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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Szeged differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,053 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 76% 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 $441 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $221 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,053 in Szeged versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szeged but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szeged 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 Szeged 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 Szeged gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.