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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,003 in Szekesfehervar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,641 in Szekesfehervar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,278 in Szekesfehervar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 131% more expensive than in Szekesfehervar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Szekesfehervar is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$11.36 Ft 3,600

55.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$56.7 Ft 18.0K

22.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.92 Ft 2,825

58.74%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.92 Ft 607

45.83%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.28 Ft 407

119.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.96 Ft 303

114.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.89 Ft 599

143.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.49 Ft 788

88.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.06 Ft 337

16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.69 Ft 537

20.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.14 Ft 678

-7.48%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.78 Ft 880

25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.63 Ft 2,416

140.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.90 Ft 1,869

66.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$14.75 Ft 4,674

29.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.91 Ft 606

42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.85 Ft 586

28.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.97 Ft 623

5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.81 Ft 891

-2.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.02 Ft 324

92.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.19 Ft 376

50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.43 Ft 452

3.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.44 Ft 140

106.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.03 Ft 1,910

18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$3.16 Ft 1,000

149.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.94 Ft 299

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.46 Ft 461

63.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.14 Ft 360

164.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$24.90 Ft 7,889

17.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.75 Ft 872

58.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.20 Ft 379

77.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$17.06 Ft 5,404

73.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.73 Ft 550

5.20%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$25.9K Ft 8.2M

46.11%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$25.6K Ft 8.1M

26.45%

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

$189 €166

$104 Ft 32.9K

82.11%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$24.65 Ft 7,809

-9.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$18.37 Ft 5,820

102.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$46.37 Ft 14.7K

25.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$17.02 Ft 5,394

21.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.76 Ft 2,142

60.80%

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

$706 €618

$222 Ft 70.4K

217.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$6,408 Ft 2.0M

132.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$64.0 Ft 20.3K

39.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$22.77 Ft 7,214

60.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$71.2 Ft 22.6K

46.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$78.3 Ft 24.8K

52.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$378 Ft 119.7K

317.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$292 Ft 92.5K

324.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$595 Ft 188.5K

355.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$523 Ft 165.8K

289.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$3,517 Ft 1.1M

113.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,161 Ft 1.0M

65.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$1,517 Ft 480.7K

55.80%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Szekesfehervar: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $378 in Szekesfehervar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 56% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $57.0 in Szekesfehervar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $217 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 131% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,003 including rent). Szekesfehervar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $378 in Szekesfehervar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $222 in Szekesfehervar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Szekesfehervar versus $2,320 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 131% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.