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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $964 in Zalaegerszeg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,458 in Zalaegerszeg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,952 in Zalaegerszeg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 145% more expensive than in Zalaegerszeg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zalaegerszeg is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$11.32 Ft 3,567

51.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$58.7 Ft 18.5K

16.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$8.43 Ft 2,657

61.80%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.21 Ft 697

25.79%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.62 Ft 512

74.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.25 Ft 395

56.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.82 Ft 573

143.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.89 Ft 594

143.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.04 Ft 326

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.42 Ft 447

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.07 Ft 652

-3.86%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.10 Ft 977

8.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.67 Ft 3,046

96.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.67 Ft 1,470

104.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.14 Ft 2,250

162.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.40 Ft 441

89.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.92 Ft 604

22.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.82 Ft 573

14.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$3.48 Ft 1,097

-21.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.18 Ft 372

66.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.26 Ft 398

43.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.16 Ft 366

30.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.54 Ft 169

64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.66 Ft 2,097

1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.27 Ft 1,975

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.90 Ft 284

52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.46 Ft 459

64.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.09 Ft 342

166.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$17.44 Ft 5,494

64.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$3.22 Ft 1,015

42.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.02 Ft 321

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$18.83 Ft 5,931

52.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.82 Ft 572

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.2K Ft 8.3M

49.81%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$31.6K Ft 10.0M

2.79%

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

$187 €162

$135 Ft 42.4K

38.66%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$26.61 Ft 8,383

-16.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$20.00 Ft 6,300

81.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$36.31 Ft 11.4K

58.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$34.25 Ft 10.8K

-39.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.07 Ft 2,228

52.33%

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

$725 €628

$200 Ft 63.0K

262.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,237 Ft 2.0M

142.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$29.12 Ft 9,174

201.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$22.62 Ft 7,127

62.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$47.89 Ft 15.1K

115.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$51.0 Ft 16.1K

132.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$317 Ft 99.9K

380.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$272 Ft 85.8K

350.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$425 Ft 133.8K

542.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$286 Ft 90.1K

594.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,887 Ft 594.4K

295.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,589 Ft 500.7K

229.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$784 Ft 246.9K

205.30%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $317 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 205% 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 $59.0 in Zalaegerszeg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $199 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 145% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $964 including rent). Zalaegerszeg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% 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 $317 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $200 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 $964 in Zalaegerszeg versus $2,359 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 145% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.