Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szombathely Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Szombathely

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,258 in Szombathely.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,005 in Szombathely.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,753 in Szombathely.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than in Szombathely, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Szombathely is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.22

$12.59 Ft 3,980

48.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.1

$56.0 Ft 17.7K

24.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.92

$8.98 Ft 2,839

53.34%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$2.47 Ft 780

25.51%

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

$2.83 €2.45

$1.40 Ft 441

102.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.63

$1.33 Ft 422

41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.45

$1.85 Ft 586

115.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.92

$2.42 Ft 764

87.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.23 Ft 390

3.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.71 Ft 540

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.45 Ft 774

-28.16%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.44

$3.43 Ft 1,084

49.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.48

$10.60 Ft 3,352

68.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.36

$6.99 Ft 2,211

38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.44

$16.95 Ft 5,359

18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.82

$2.31 Ft 731

40.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.93

$2.13 Ft 675

4.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$2.56 Ft 811

1.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.39

$3.44 Ft 1,086

-19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.17 Ft 369

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.44 Ft 454

47.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.90 Ft 601

-18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.61 Ft 192

55.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.36

$8.56 Ft 2,708

-14.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.97

$4.73 Ft 1,495

70.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.32 Ft 417

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.42

$2.66 Ft 841

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.69

$0.86 Ft 273

261.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.39

$27.69 Ft 8,755

-6.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.83

$2.85 Ft 901

14.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.40 Ft 443

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.67

$24.55 Ft 7,762

39.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.89 Ft 598

-8.47%

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

$36.4K €31.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.4M

22.15%

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

$30.5K €26.4K

$33.9K Ft 10.7M

-9.90%

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

$187 €162

$173 Ft 54.6K

8.24%

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

$15.14 €13.11

$21.19 Ft 6,700

-28.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.62

$21.29 Ft 6,730

77.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.43

$49.16 Ft 15.5K

13.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.79

$20.03 Ft 6,332

-14.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.88

$4.63 Ft 1,464

146.44%

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

$997 €863

$437 Ft 138.1K

128.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$8,042 Ft 2.5M

105.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.2

$104 Ft 33.0K

-11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.69

$53.5 Ft 16.9K

-22.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.3

$99.1 Ft 31.3K

12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$116 Ft 36.7K

7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,478

$543 Ft 171.8K

214.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,113

$353 Ft 111.7K

264.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,221

$769 Ft 243.3K

233.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,681

$681 Ft 215.2K

185.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,620

$2,489 Ft 786.9K

207.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,473

$2,030 Ft 641.9K

154.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,033

$1,186 Ft 375.0K

98.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.5

-57.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $543 in Szombathely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 98% 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 $56.0 in Szombathely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $265 per month, with Szombathely 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 Szombathely: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Szombathely differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,258 including rent). Szombathely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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 $543 in Szombathely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $437 in Szombathely. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,258 in Szombathely versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szombathely but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szombathely 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 Szombathely 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 Szombathely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.