Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zalaegerszeg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zalaegerszeg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $962 in Zalaegerszeg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,472 in Zalaegerszeg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,981 in Zalaegerszeg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 149% more expensive than Zalaegerszeg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Zalaegerszeg is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$11.71 Ft 3,518

50.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$57.6 Ft 17.3K

21.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$8.51 Ft 2,558

60.52%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.24 Ft 672

22.32%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.61 Ft 485

73.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.19 Ft 358

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.88 Ft 565

131.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.89 Ft 568

142.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.03 Ft 310

25.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.42 Ft 427

44.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.12 Ft 637

-6.60%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.01 Ft 905

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$9.77 Ft 2,935

90.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$4.64 Ft 1,393

106.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$7.41 Ft 2,226

154.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.47 Ft 442

87.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.99 Ft 598

24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.90 Ft 570

10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.52 Ft 1,059

-19.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.12 Ft 337

80.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.26 Ft 380

46.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.16 Ft 349

30.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.54 Ft 163

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$6.80 Ft 2,043

3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$5.87 Ft 1,765

35.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.89 Ft 269

60.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.40 Ft 421

63.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.08 Ft 323

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$17.22 Ft 5,175

64.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.11 Ft 934

40.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.02 Ft 306

109.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$19.24 Ft 5,780

51.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.80 Ft 542

3.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.1K Ft 7.8M

49.34%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$30.9K Ft 9.3M

5.89%

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

$189 €163

$135 Ft 40.7K

39.76%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$25.69 Ft 7,721

-11.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$20.44 Ft 6,143

78.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$36.96 Ft 11.1K

55.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$34.78 Ft 10.4K

-38.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$7.03 Ft 2,113

53.77%

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

$726 €625

$203 Ft 61.1K

257.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$6,322 Ft 1.9M

138.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$28.86 Ft 8,673

203.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$22.57 Ft 6,782

63.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$47.45 Ft 14.3K

118.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$52.4 Ft 15.7K

122.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$321 Ft 96.6K

389.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$275 Ft 82.6K

343.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$431 Ft 129.7K

528.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$293 Ft 88.0K

571.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,010 Ft 603.9K

288.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,654 Ft 497.0K

218.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$836 Ft 251.3K

184.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-51.57%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $321 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 184% 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 $58.0 in Zalaegerszeg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $200 per month, with Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zalaegerszeg differ by about 149% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $962 including rent). Zalaegerszeg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 184% 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 $321 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $203 in Zalaegerszeg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $962 in Zalaegerszeg versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zalaegerszeg but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg 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 Zalaegerszeg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.