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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,142 in Szombathely.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,630 in Szombathely.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,117 in Szombathely.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 103% more expensive than in Szombathely, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Szombathely is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$8.60 Ft 2,733

105.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$43.64 Ft 13.9K

59.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$8.27 Ft 2,627

71.22%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.10 Ft 666

33.33%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.09 Ft 346

157.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.92 Ft 292

123.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.60 Ft 508

187.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.17 Ft 690

116.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.10 Ft 350

11.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.50 Ft 478

35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.83 Ft 581

8.20%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.50 Ft 796

39.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$9.10 Ft 2,892

101.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$6.03 Ft 1,916

63.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$14.44 Ft 4,590

32.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.96 Ft 624

39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.85 Ft 588

28.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.13 Ft 676

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.86 Ft 910

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.18 Ft 375

66.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.30 Ft 412

37.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.78 Ft 567

-16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.58 Ft 183

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$7.12 Ft 2,263

0.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$4.83 Ft 1,534

63.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.17 Ft 372

17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.55 Ft 492

54.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.83 Ft 264

262.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$17.93 Ft 5,698

63.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.66 Ft 846

63.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.15 Ft 366

85.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$22.21 Ft 7,059

33.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.68 Ft 533

8.33%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$27.5K Ft 8.7M

37.88%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$26.2K Ft 8.3M

23.73%

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

$189 €165

$165 Ft 52.3K

14.91%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$27.78 Ft 8,827

-19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$19.85 Ft 6,308

87.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$45.59 Ft 14.5K

27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$17.06 Ft 5,420

21.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$4.21 Ft 1,338

158.19%

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

$706 €618

$397 Ft 126.2K

77.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,179 Ft 2.3M

107.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$93.2 Ft 29.6K

-3.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$44.69 Ft 14.2K

-18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$93.2 Ft 29.6K

11.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$100 Ft 31.9K

18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$430 Ft 136.5K

267.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$319 Ft 101.4K

287.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$436 Ft 138.5K

522.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$345 Ft 109.5K

491.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$2,531 Ft 804.2K

197.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,096 Ft 666.0K

149.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,203 Ft 382.2K

96.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.5

-54.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $430 in Szombathely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 97% 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 $44.00 in Szombathely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $227 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 103% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,142 including rent). Szombathely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 97% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $430 in Szombathely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $397 in Szombathely. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,142 in Szombathely versus $2,320 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 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.