Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szekesfehervar Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szekesfehervar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,141 in Szekesfehervar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,854 in Szekesfehervar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,567 in Szekesfehervar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Szekesfehervar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Szekesfehervar is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$10.05 Ft 3,197

86.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$62.7 Ft 20.0K

10.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.75 Ft 2,783

57.37%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.28 Ft 726

35.96%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.44 Ft 458

96.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.09 Ft 348

72.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.09 Ft 665

90.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.42 Ft 770

87.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.18 Ft 374

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.48 Ft 471

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.69 Ft 854

-34.57%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.61 Ft 1,147

42.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.05 Ft 3,197

77.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.51 Ft 2,070

48.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$16.27 Ft 5,174

23.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.11 Ft 672

54.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.24 Ft 714

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.03 Ft 647

28.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.15 Ft 1,001

-12.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.08 Ft 343

104.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.18 Ft 375

79.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.55 Ft 494

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.49 Ft 156

93.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.70 Ft 2,132

9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$3.13 Ft 994

157.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.30 Ft 413

18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.11 Ft 672

32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.28 Ft 406

142.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$27.52 Ft 8,753

-6.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.16 Ft 1,005

3.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.70 Ft 540

-12.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$18.98 Ft 6,039

80.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.89 Ft 602

-8.47%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$28.0K Ft 8.9M

30.00%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$31.1K Ft 9.9M

-1.70%

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

$187 €163

$131 Ft 41.5K

43.36%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$28.57 Ft 9,088

-47.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$19.92 Ft 6,337

89.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$47.27 Ft 15.0K

18.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$8.72 Ft 2,773

30.85%

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

$997 €869

$257 Ft 81.9K

287.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,989 Ft 2.2M

136.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$70.1 Ft 22.3K

32.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$25.20 Ft 8,017

63.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$78.2 Ft 24.9K

42.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$86.3 Ft 27.5K

44.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$403 Ft 128.2K

323.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$314 Ft 100.0K

308.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$640 Ft 203.5K

301.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$674 Ft 214.5K

187.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,505 Ft 1.1M

118.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$3,191 Ft 1.0M

61.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,519 Ft 483.2K

54.62%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Szekesfehervar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $403 in Szekesfehervar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 55% 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 $63.0 in Szekesfehervar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $246 per month, with Szekesfehervar 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 Szekesfehervar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Szekesfehervar differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,141 including rent). Szekesfehervar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $403 in Szekesfehervar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $257 in Szekesfehervar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,141 in Szekesfehervar versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szekesfehervar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szekesfehervar 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 Szekesfehervar 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 Szekesfehervar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.