Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szolnok Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szolnok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $926 in Szolnok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,378 in Szolnok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,831 in Szolnok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 153% more expensive than Szolnok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Szolnok is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$8.00 Ft 2,487

120.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$39.93 Ft 12.4K

72.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$7.89 Ft 2,453

74.27%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.01 Ft 626

37.31%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.47 Ft 457

89.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.13 Ft 351

81.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.85 Ft 575

149.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$2.24 Ft 695

104.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.83 Ft 258

54.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.04 Ft 324

102.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.54 Ft 479

27.92%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.21 Ft 686

55.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$6.20 Ft 1,928

203.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$5.06 Ft 1,572

86.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$10.87 Ft 3,380

74.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$1.13 Ft 351

140.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.54 Ft 479

53.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$1.34 Ft 416

55.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.13 Ft 661

29.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.93 Ft 288

111.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.93 Ft 288

92.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.00 Ft 312

51.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.35 Ft 108

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$6.17 Ft 1,918

9.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$3.95 Ft 1,229

91.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.76 Ft 238

89.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.13 Ft 352

113.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.96 Ft 298

215.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$24.64 Ft 7,659

15.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.53 Ft 787

75.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.15 Ft 359

78.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$13.94 Ft 4,334

110.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.72 Ft 535

9.88%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$18.1K Ft 5.6M

114.30%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$34.7K Ft 10.8M

-6.65%

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

$189 €161

$102 Ft 31.7K

84.67%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$24.11 Ft 7,496

-7.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$17.32 Ft 5,385

112.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$52.0 Ft 16.1K

11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$8.85 Ft 2,750

137.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$7.14 Ft 2,220

54.76%

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

$726 €620

$145 Ft 45.1K

400.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,402 Ft 1.1M

347.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$55.0 Ft 17.1K

60.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$27.31 Ft 8,491

35.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$63.6 Ft 19.8K

61.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$68.0 Ft 21.1K

75.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$329 Ft 102.1K

364.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$272 Ft 84.6K

347.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$473 Ft 147.2K

490.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$386 Ft 120.1K

424.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$1,992 Ft 619.1K

256.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$1,589 Ft 493.8K

205.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$1,054 Ft 327.7K

128.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

10.26

-66.96%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $329 in Szolnok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 128% 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 in Barcelona vs $40 in Szolnok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $168 per month, with Szolnok 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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Szolnok differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $926 including rent). Szolnok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 128% 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 $329 in Szolnok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $145 in Szolnok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $926 in Szolnok versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Szolnok but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szolnok 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 Szolnok 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 Szolnok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.