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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,245 in Szekszard.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,901 in Szekszard.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,556 in Szekszard.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 99% more expensive than in Szekszard, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Szekszard is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$12.57 Ft 4,000

49.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$47.99 Ft 15.3K

44.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.37 Ft 2,980

46.96%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.59 Ft 506

94.97%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.93 Ft 615

46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.23 Ft 393

52.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.21 Ft 1,022

23.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.97 Ft 944

52.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.22 Ft 390

4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.49 Ft 475

44.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.40 Ft 764

-26.67%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.19 Ft 1,016

60.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$11.39 Ft 3,625

56.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.40 Ft 2,037

50.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.81 Ft 4,394

45.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.79 Ft 570

81.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.99 Ft 633

12.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.07 Ft 658

25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.87 Ft 914

-3.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.08 Ft 344

104.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.30 Ft 415

63.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.80 Ft 574

-13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.49 Ft 155

93.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$8.14 Ft 2,590

-9.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.21 Ft 1,977

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.20 Ft 381

28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.60 Ft 509

74.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.23 Ft 393

152.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$26.77 Ft 8,515

-3.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.12 Ft 992

4.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.54 Ft 491

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$19.27 Ft 6,131

77.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.87 Ft 595

-7.49%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.9K Ft 10.8M

7.37%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$35.2K Ft 11.2M

-13.18%

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

$187 €163

$129 Ft 40.9K

45.52%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$18.70 Ft 5,949

-19.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$23.79 Ft 7,569

58.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$48.70 Ft 15.5K

14.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$17.84 Ft 5,675

-4.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.63 Ft 2,428

49.54%

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

$997 €869

$502 Ft 159.7K

98.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,580 Ft 2.7M

92.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$63.6 Ft 20.2K

45.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$24.92 Ft 7,928

65.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$94.4 Ft 30.0K

17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$80.3 Ft 25.6K

55.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$540 Ft 171.8K

216.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$411 Ft 130.6K

213.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$789 Ft 250.9K

225.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$663 Ft 210.9K

193.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,690 Ft 537.5K

352.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,247 Ft 396.8K

314.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$936 Ft 297.8K

150.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.25

-61.70%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $540 in Szekszard. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 151% 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 $48.00 in Szekszard for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $241 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 99% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,245 including rent). Szekszard is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 151% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $540 in Szekszard. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $502 in Szekszard. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,245 in Szekszard versus $2,476 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 99% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.