Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szekszard Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szekszard

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,059 in Szekszard.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,608 in Szekszard.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,157 in Szekszard.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 121% more expensive than Szekszard, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$11.33 Ft 3,428

50.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$43.04 Ft 13.0K

60.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.93 Ft 2,400

73.77%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.43 Ft 432

93.01%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.42 Ft 429

96.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.95 Ft 286

109.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.53 Ft 765

72.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.52 Ft 763

88.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.08 Ft 327

19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.17 Ft 353

75.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.78 Ft 540

11.80%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.37 Ft 718

43.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.28 Ft 2,808

102.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.69 Ft 1,722

64.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.95 Ft 3,314

74.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.47 Ft 444

83.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.76 Ft 533

32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.74 Ft 528

21.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.28 Ft 688

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.17 Ft 355

68.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.29 Ft 391

39.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.54 Ft 466

-5.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.42 Ft 126

104.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$7.12 Ft 2,154

-4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.44 Ft 1,948

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.03 Ft 313

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.17 Ft 354

102.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.98 Ft 297

197.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$24.55 Ft 7,427

16.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.90 Ft 878

53.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.76 Ft 229

169.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$16.93 Ft 5,122

74.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.77 Ft 535

2.82%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$32.0K Ft 9.7M

21.15%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$34.7K Ft 10.5M

-4.58%

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

$189 €163

$115 Ft 34.7K

64.81%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$14.45 Ft 4,370

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$19.80 Ft 5,991

89.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$45.92 Ft 13.9K

25.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$16.46 Ft 4,979

26.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.77 Ft 2,047

59.82%

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

$728 €628

$452 Ft 136.8K

61.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$6,699 Ft 2.0M

120.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$57.8 Ft 17.5K

53.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$22.87 Ft 6,921

61.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$87.3 Ft 26.4K

16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$72.4 Ft 21.9K

60.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$440 Ft 133.3K

256.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$346 Ft 104.8K

251.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$642 Ft 194.1K

335.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$542 Ft 164.0K

264.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,686 Ft 510.0K

359.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,299 Ft 393.0K

298.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$979 Ft 296.2K

139.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-57.62%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $440 in Szekszard. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 139% 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 $43.00 in Szekszard for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $202 per month, with Szekszard 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 Szekszard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Szekszard differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,059 including rent). Szekszard is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 139% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $440 in Szekszard. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $452 in Szekszard. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,059 in Szekszard versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Szekszard but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szekszard 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 Szekszard 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 Szekszard 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.