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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,078 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,643 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,208 in Szeged.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 119% more expensive than in Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Szeged is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$7.76 Ft 2,456

121.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$45.37 Ft 14.4K

50.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$5.71 Ft 1,806

138.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$1.96 Ft 620

41.84%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$1.37 Ft 433

105.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.99 Ft 314

97.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.37 Ft 748

86.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$2.16 Ft 683

113.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.11 Ft 350

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.46 Ft 460

45.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.84 Ft 583

8.15%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.82 Ft 893

19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$7.83 Ft 2,477

142.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$5.89 Ft 1,863

61.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$11.22 Ft 3,550

66.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.86 Ft 587

42.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.77 Ft 559

32.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.04 Ft 646

2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.94 Ft 930

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.05 Ft 333

86.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.20 Ft 380

50.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.44 Ft 456

4.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.44 Ft 140

102.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$7.24 Ft 2,292

-6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$4.95 Ft 1,565

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.00 Ft 316

37.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.19 Ft 375

101.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.56 Ft 493

86.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$28.00 Ft 8,860

2.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.85 Ft 900

60.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.33 Ft 419

53.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$17.08 Ft 5,405

68.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.76 Ft 557

3.41%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$26.4K Ft 8.3M

49.14%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$25.5K Ft 8.1M

27.48%

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

$187 €163

$106 Ft 33.6K

75.98%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$24.84 Ft 7,860

-10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$18.55 Ft 5,870

96.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$39.81 Ft 12.6K

44.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$20.18 Ft 6,385

2.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$7.95 Ft 2,517

35.47%

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

$725 €632

$217 Ft 68.8K

233.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$6,385 Ft 2.0M

137.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$89.0 Ft 28.2K

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$25.65 Ft 8,116

43.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$87.6 Ft 27.7K

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$107 Ft 33.7K

11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$436 Ft 137.8K

249.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$341 Ft 107.8K

260.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$662 Ft 209.4K

312.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$550 Ft 173.9K

260.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$3,269 Ft 1.0M

128.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$2,387 Ft 755.4K

119.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$1,336 Ft 422.7K

79.09%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Szeged: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $436 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 79% 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 $45.00 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $207 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,078 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% 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 $436 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $217 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Szeged versus $2,359 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 119% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.