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: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,055 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,657 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $2,258 in Szeged.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 121% more expensive than Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Szeged is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$7.82 Ft 2,432

123.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$45.23 Ft 14.1K

54.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$5.65 Ft 1,759

146.19%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$1.96 Ft 609

39.80%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$1.36 Ft 423

98.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.98 Ft 305

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$2.33 Ft 724

93.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.16 Ft 672

113.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.11 Ft 344

15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.53 Ft 477

37.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.85 Ft 575

7.57%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$2.95 Ft 919

16.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$7.82 Ft 2,435

137.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$5.62 Ft 1,749

67.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$10.94 Ft 3,403

70.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.92 Ft 598

35.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.85 Ft 575

29.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.04 Ft 634

7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.81 Ft 875

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.05 Ft 328

93.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.19 Ft 371

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.45 Ft 450

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.48 Ft 149

91.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$7.14 Ft 2,221

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$5.18 Ft 1,612

48.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.00 Ft 312

38.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.20 Ft 372

94.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.56 Ft 486

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$27.50 Ft 8,555

5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.78 Ft 864

59.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.27 Ft 396

68.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$17.38 Ft 5,408

66.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.75 Ft 544

8.57%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$25.8K Ft 8.0M

46.67%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$25.6K Ft 8.0M

30.31%

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

$186 €158

$106 Ft 33.0K

75.27%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$24.82 Ft 7,723

-10.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$19.19 Ft 5,970

90.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$40.56 Ft 12.6K

43.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$20.08 Ft 6,249

3.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$7.84 Ft 2,440

41.58%

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

$705 €601

$223 Ft 69.5K

215.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,248 Ft 1.9M

143.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$88.1 Ft 27.4K

-1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$25.98 Ft 8,084

41.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$85.8 Ft 26.7K

21.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$106 Ft 33.1K

8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$432 Ft 134.5K

255.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$339 Ft 105.4K

266.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$655 Ft 203.9K

316.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$536 Ft 166.9K

274.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$3,360 Ft 1.0M

112.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$2,468 Ft 767.9K

96.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$1,295 Ft 402.8K

91.11%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Szeged: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $432 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 91% 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: $70 in Barcelona vs $45 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $208 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 121% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,055 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 91% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $432 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $223 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,055 in Szeged versus $2,336 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 121% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.