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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,294 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,023 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,753 in Szeged.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 92% more expensive than in Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Szeged is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$10.20 Ft 3,196

80.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$61.7 Ft 19.3K

12.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$9.32 Ft 2,919

50.75%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$2.44 Ft 765

27.46%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.58 Ft 496

87.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.32 Ft 413

47.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.25 Ft 705

77.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.35 Ft 735

96.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.22 Ft 382

8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.49 Ft 466

41.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.74 Ft 857

-33.21%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.81 Ft 1,193

35.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$10.45 Ft 3,272

68.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$6.93 Ft 2,171

37.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$16.39 Ft 5,135

21.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.41 Ft 756

31.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.37 Ft 742

-6.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.14 Ft 671

21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.54 Ft 1,108

-19.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.09 Ft 343

99.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.19 Ft 372

77.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.63 Ft 510

-0.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.57 Ft 177

54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$8.16 Ft 2,556

-12.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$5.04 Ft 1,578

65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.31 Ft 412

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.07 Ft 649

32.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.81 Ft 566

73.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$31.30 Ft 9,806

-16.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.08 Ft 964

4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.72 Ft 538

-12.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$18.92 Ft 5,925

86.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.94 Ft 609

-9.79%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$28.3K Ft 8.9M

29.70%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$39.4K Ft 12.3M

-19.52%

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

$187 €161

$136 Ft 42.7K

37.25%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$23.24 Ft 7,280

-35.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$20.60 Ft 6,453

82.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$49.12 Ft 15.4K

12.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$31.29 Ft 9,803

-46.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$8.55 Ft 2,679

36.96%

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

$1,011 €871

$259 Ft 81.3K

289.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,070 Ft 2.2M

141.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$108 Ft 33.8K

-15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$35.02 Ft 11.0K

17.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$94.1 Ft 29.5K

17.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$131 Ft 41.0K

-3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$534 Ft 167.1K

219.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$387 Ft 121.3K

235.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$791 Ft 247.9K

226.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$635 Ft 198.9K

203.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$3,277 Ft 1.0M

135.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$2,403 Ft 752.7K

124.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$1,348 Ft 422.3K

76.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.67

-52.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Szeged: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $534 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 $62.0 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $261 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 92% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,294 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $534 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $259 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Szeged versus $2,482 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 92% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.