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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,012 in Szekesfehervar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,633 in Szekesfehervar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,253 in Szekesfehervar.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 134% more expensive than Szekesfehervar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Szekesfehervar is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.09 Ft 3,382

58.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$58.3 Ft 17.8K

17.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$9.02 Ft 2,750

55.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.91 Ft 581

45.55%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.28 Ft 390

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.88 Ft 268

134.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.90 Ft 578

134.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.52 Ft 767

82.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.12 Ft 342

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.71 Ft 523

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.10 Ft 640

-8.57%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.68 Ft 816

23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.76 Ft 2,367

137.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.08 Ft 1,853

56.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$14.87 Ft 4,535

28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.83 Ft 557

44.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.77 Ft 539

38.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.87 Ft 571

13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.83 Ft 863

0.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.06 Ft 323

92.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.19 Ft 362

55.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.39 Ft 423

5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.44 Ft 135

90.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$6.32 Ft 1,928

12.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$3.25 Ft 991

142.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.99 Ft 303

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.42 Ft 433

62.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.18 Ft 360

152.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$24.71 Ft 7,537

18.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.80 Ft 853

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.14 Ft 348

81.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$17.44 Ft 5,318

67.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.72 Ft 525

6.98%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.4K Ft 7.7M

53.72%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.2K Ft 7.7M

29.89%

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

$188 €162

$106 Ft 32.2K

77.74%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$25.07 Ft 7,644

-8.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$18.57 Ft 5,663

97.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$45.98 Ft 14.0K

24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$16.66 Ft 5,081

24.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.46 Ft 1,970

73.22%

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

$721 €620

$220 Ft 67.1K

227.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$6,228 Ft 1.9M

141.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$64.3 Ft 19.6K

34.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$22.72 Ft 6,930

63.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.5 Ft 22.1K

40.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$79.9 Ft 24.4K

45.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$367 Ft 112.0K

317.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$285 Ft 86.9K

328.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$589 Ft 179.5K

357.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$517 Ft 157.5K

289.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,639 Ft 1.1M

98.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,257 Ft 993.4K

59.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,609 Ft 490.8K

46.59%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Szekesfehervar: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $367 in Szekesfehervar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 47% 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 $58.0 in Szekesfehervar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $218 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 134% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,012 including rent). Szekesfehervar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 47% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $367 in Szekesfehervar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $220 in Szekesfehervar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,012 in Szekesfehervar versus $2,367 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 134% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.