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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $923 in Szolnok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,393 in Szolnok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,862 in Szolnok.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 156% more expensive than in Szolnok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Szolnok is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$7.73 Ft 2,435

121.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$39.96 Ft 12.6K

70.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.94 Ft 2,500

71.79%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.95 Ft 613

42.56%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.40 Ft 441

101.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.14 Ft 358

71.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.92 Ft 604

130.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.33 Ft 736

97.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.78 Ft 247

62.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.10 Ft 346

93.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.61 Ft 506

23.60%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.21 Ft 695

52.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.27 Ft 1,975

202.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.29 Ft 1,667

80.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.87 Ft 3,424

72.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.19 Ft 374

122.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.51 Ft 475

55.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.33 Ft 419

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.09 Ft 658

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.94 Ft 295

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.91 Ft 287

98.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.00 Ft 314

51.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.32 Ft 99.8

178.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.39 Ft 2,013

6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$3.82 Ft 1,203

107.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.76 Ft 238

80.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.09 Ft 343

120.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.01 Ft 317

188.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$24.23 Ft 7,634

18.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.53 Ft 799

81.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.16 Ft 364

75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$13.88 Ft 4,374

106.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.68 Ft 530

8.33%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$17.9K Ft 5.6M

119.73%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$34.5K Ft 10.9M

-5.96%

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

$187 €162

$104 Ft 32.7K

79.69%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$24.01 Ft 7,563

-7.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$17.19 Ft 5,417

111.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$52.6 Ft 16.6K

9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$8.41 Ft 2,648

146.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.27 Ft 2,291

48.14%

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

$725 €628

$143 Ft 44.9K

408.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,470 Ft 1.1M

336.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$54.5 Ft 17.2K

61.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$27.10 Ft 8,537

35.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$64.5 Ft 20.3K

60.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$68.1 Ft 21.4K

74.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$323 Ft 101.6K

372.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$275 Ft 86.6K

346.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$486 Ft 153.3K

460.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$389 Ft 122.6K

409.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,070 Ft 652.3K

260.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,694 Ft 533.9K

209.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,077 Ft 339.2K

122.22%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $323 in Szolnok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 122% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Szolnok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $169 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $923 including rent). Szolnok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $323 in Szolnok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $143 in Szolnok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $923 in Szolnok versus $2,359 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 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.