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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,128 in Szolnok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,754 in Szolnok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,379 in Szolnok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than in Szolnok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Szolnok is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$10.07 Ft 3,205

86.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$47.72 Ft 15.2K

45.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.44 Ft 2,684

63.15%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.43 Ft 774

27.57%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.98 Ft 631

42.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.29 Ft 410

45.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.62 Ft 832

51.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.89 Ft 920

56.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.92 Ft 294

38.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.28 Ft 406

68.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.60 Ft 509

10.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.29 Ft 1,045

55.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$7.68 Ft 2,444

132.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.64 Ft 2,111

45.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.63 Ft 4,336

47.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.55 Ft 494

109.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.85 Ft 589

20.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.56 Ft 498

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.49 Ft 793

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.67 Ft 212

229.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.74 Ft 234

186.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.07 Ft 339

44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.36 Ft 114

163.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.12 Ft 2,264

3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$3.68 Ft 1,172

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.96 Ft 306

60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.30 Ft 413

114.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.05 Ft 334

196.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$26.38 Ft 8,391

-1.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.96 Ft 940

10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.31 Ft 734

-35.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$15.42 Ft 4,904

122.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.86 Ft 592

-6.99%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$28.3K Ft 9.0M

28.43%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$38.4K Ft 12.2M

-20.40%

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

$187 €163

$130 Ft 41.4K

43.68%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$29.76 Ft 9,466

-49.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$23.16 Ft 7,366

62.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$42.60 Ft 13.6K

31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$18.82 Ft 5,988

-9.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$3.41 Ft 1,085

234.60%

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

$997 €869

$161 Ft 51.2K

519.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$4,981 Ft 1.6M

231.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$86.6 Ft 27.5K

7.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$51.5 Ft 16.4K

-19.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$92.5 Ft 29.4K

20.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$122 Ft 38.9K

2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$417 Ft 132.7K

309.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$334 Ft 106.3K

284.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$659 Ft 209.7K

289.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$523 Ft 166.4K

271.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,117 Ft 673.3K

261.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,705 Ft 542.5K

203.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,082 Ft 344.3K

116.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.69

-58.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $417 in Szolnok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 117% 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 Szolnok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $203 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,128 including rent). Szolnok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% 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 $417 in Szolnok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $161 in Szolnok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,128 in Szolnok versus $2,476 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 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.