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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,070 in Szekszard.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,612 in Szekszard.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,155 in Szekszard.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 119% more expensive than Szekszard, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Szekszard is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$11.49 Ft 3,586

53.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$42.58 Ft 13.3K

61.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.15 Ft 2,542

68.71%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.41 Ft 439

95.74%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.43 Ft 446

94.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.98 Ft 306

109.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.66 Ft 830

73.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.57 Ft 801

78.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.09 Ft 340

17.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.13 Ft 352

86.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.77 Ft 553

11.30%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.40 Ft 748

43.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.48 Ft 2,957

98.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.90 Ft 1,842

60.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$11.24 Ft 3,506

69.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.40 Ft 437

94.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.70 Ft 529

39.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.75 Ft 545

18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.23 Ft 696

23.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.13 Ft 351

74.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.28 Ft 401

39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.55 Ft 482

-2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.44 Ft 138

104.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$7.40 Ft 2,310

-8.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$6.57 Ft 2,049

14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.99 Ft 308

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.12 Ft 349

115.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.04 Ft 323

191.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$25.50 Ft 7,956

11.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.86 Ft 894

54.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.79 Ft 247

159.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$17.47 Ft 5,451

67.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.77 Ft 551

6.78%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$31.7K Ft 9.9M

22.14%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$34.2K Ft 10.7M

-5.43%

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

$189 €161

$113 Ft 35.2K

67.01%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$14.26 Ft 4,449

55.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$20.19 Ft 6,300

82.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$46.62 Ft 14.5K

24.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$16.99 Ft 5,301

23.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.87 Ft 2,142

60.84%

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

$726 €622

$452 Ft 141.2K

60.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$6,646 Ft 2.1M

129.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$57.1 Ft 17.8K

54.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$23.07 Ft 7,199

60.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$87.9 Ft 27.4K

16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$71.4 Ft 22.3K

67.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$453 Ft 141.4K

236.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$342 Ft 106.7K

256.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$626 Ft 195.4K

346.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$529 Ft 164.9K

283.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,169 Ft 988.6K

123.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$2,418 Ft 754.5K

100.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$809 Ft 252.4K

197.16%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $453 in Szekszard. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 197% 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 $320 vs $204 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,070 including rent). Szekszard is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 197% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $453 in Szekszard. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 57% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,070 in Szekszard versus $2,341 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 119% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.