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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,068 in Szekszard.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,619 in Szekszard.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,170 in Szekszard.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Szekszard is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$11.33 Ft 3,569

51.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$43.26 Ft 13.6K

57.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.24 Ft 2,595

65.53%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.46 Ft 460

90.41%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.37 Ft 431

105.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.98 Ft 308

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.56 Ft 808

73.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.54 Ft 801

81.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.12 Ft 352

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.18 Ft 372

80.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.85 Ft 584

7.57%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.38 Ft 749

41.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.09 Ft 2,864

108.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.77 Ft 1,818

65.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.34 Ft 3,574

65.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.47 Ft 465

80.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.71 Ft 537

37.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.68 Ft 531

24.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.24 Ft 706

21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.13 Ft 355

73.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.33 Ft 419

36.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.49 Ft 470

1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.45 Ft 140

97.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$7.40 Ft 2,332

-8.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.41 Ft 2,019

23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.98 Ft 309

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.18 Ft 371

103.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.02 Ft 323

185.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$25.15 Ft 7,924

13.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.95 Ft 929

55.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.79 Ft 250

158.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$16.99 Ft 5,353

69.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.67 Ft 526

8.98%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.2K Ft 10.1M

22.08%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.4K Ft 10.8M

-5.55%

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

$187 €162

$114 Ft 36.0K

63.27%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$14.11 Ft 4,447

57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$19.75 Ft 6,223

84.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$46.36 Ft 14.6K

24.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$17.01 Ft 5,361

21.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.84 Ft 2,154

57.46%

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

$725 €628

$469 Ft 147.9K

54.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,708 Ft 2.1M

125.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$57.1 Ft 18.0K

53.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$23.25 Ft 7,324

58.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$86.6 Ft 27.3K

19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$70.7 Ft 22.3K

67.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$437 Ft 137.7K

248.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$352 Ft 110.8K

248.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$636 Ft 200.3K

329.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$527 Ft 166.0K

276.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,682 Ft 529.8K

344.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,281 Ft 403.5K

309.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$944 Ft 297.5K

153.36%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $437 in Szekszard. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 153% 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 $43.00 in Szekszard for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $203 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 ($2,359 vs $1,068 including rent). Szekszard is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 153% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $437 in Szekszard. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $469 in Szekszard. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,068 in Szekszard versus $2,359 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.