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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $907 in Szolnok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,380 in Szolnok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,853 in Szolnok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 165% more expensive than Szolnok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Szolnok is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$7.72 Ft 2,320

129.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$41.01 Ft 12.3K

70.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$7.67 Ft 2,304

78.10%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.96 Ft 588

39.80%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.43 Ft 429

95.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.18 Ft 354

66.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.91 Ft 574

128.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.25 Ft 677

103.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.84 Ft 252

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.04 Ft 313

97.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.62 Ft 488

22.22%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.18 Ft 654

55.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$6.25 Ft 1,879

198.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$5.02 Ft 1,507

90.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$10.81 Ft 3,249

74.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.15 Ft 345

139.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.51 Ft 454

63.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.32 Ft 397

59.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.19 Ft 658

28.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.88 Ft 266

129.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.94 Ft 282

96.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.92 Ft 277

64.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.32 Ft 96.0

181.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$6.46 Ft 1,940

9.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$4.04 Ft 1,214

97.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.75 Ft 226

90.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.13 Ft 339

102.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.00 Ft 300

188.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$24.18 Ft 7,267

17.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$2.52 Ft 756

73.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.20 Ft 361

78.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$13.86 Ft 4,164

110.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.66 Ft 499

12.05%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$17.9K Ft 5.4M

118.19%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$33.9K Ft 10.2M

-3.63%

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

$189 €163

$105 Ft 31.6K

79.65%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$24.38 Ft 7,325

-6.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$17.58 Ft 5,282

107.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$52.8 Ft 15.9K

9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$8.56 Ft 2,573

149.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$7.16 Ft 2,152

50.98%

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

$726 €625

$145 Ft 43.5K

401.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$3,494 Ft 1.0M

332.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$54.8 Ft 16.5K

59.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$27.35 Ft 8,220

34.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$62.5 Ft 18.8K

65.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$68.0 Ft 20.4K

71.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$319 Ft 95.9K

392.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$276 Ft 83.0K

341.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$481 Ft 144.6K

463.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$383 Ft 115.2K

413.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,137 Ft 642.0K

265.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,628 Ft 489.2K

223.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,153 Ft 346.6K

105.91%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $319 in Szolnok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 106% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $41.00 in Szolnok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 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 165% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $907 including rent). Szolnok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 106% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $319 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 91% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $907 in Szolnok versus $2,399 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 165% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.