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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,131 in Zalaegerszeg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,704 in Zalaegerszeg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,277 in Zalaegerszeg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 119% more expensive than in Zalaegerszeg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Zalaegerszeg is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$14.38 Ft 4,575

30.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$62.8 Ft 20.0K

10.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$9.28 Ft 2,952

48.38%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.95 Ft 937

5.08%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.17 Ft 691

30.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.30 Ft 415

44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.01 Ft 640

98.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.15 Ft 684

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.21 Ft 385

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.49 Ft 474

44.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.58 Ft 819

-31.78%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.58 Ft 1,139

43.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$12.10 Ft 3,849

47.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.29 Ft 2,001

53.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$12.74 Ft 4,052

58.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.88 Ft 597

72.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.15 Ft 684

3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.11 Ft 671

23.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.98 Ft 1,266

-30.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.00 Ft 318

121.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.98 Ft 312

116.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.43 Ft 456

8.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.57 Ft 181

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$8.14 Ft 2,590

-9.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.29 Ft 2,001

27.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.17 Ft 371

31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.12 Ft 675

31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.15 Ft 367

170.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$19.21 Ft 6,110

34.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.57 Ft 1,135

-8.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.23 Ft 390

20.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$20.44 Ft 6,501

67.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.92 Ft 610

-9.90%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$30.2K Ft 9.6M

20.34%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.3K Ft 10.9M

-10.88%

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

$187 €163

$149 Ft 47.3K

25.79%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$25.30 Ft 8,048

-40.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$24.96 Ft 7,942

51.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$40.70 Ft 12.9K

37.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$38.61 Ft 12.3K

-55.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.68 Ft 2,442

48.57%

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

$997 €869

$219 Ft 69.6K

355.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$16.9K Ft 5.4M

-2.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$31.38 Ft 9,982

195.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$25.16 Ft 8,003

63.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$51.1 Ft 16.3K

117.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$57.9 Ft 18.4K

116.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$351 Ft 111.7K

386.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$298 Ft 95.0K

330.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$474 Ft 150.8K

441.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$313 Ft 99.5K

521.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,886 Ft 600.1K

305.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,550 Ft 493.2K

233.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$794 Ft 252.6K

195.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.56

-51.83%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $351 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 196% 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 $63.0 in Zalaegerszeg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $248 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,131 including rent). Zalaegerszeg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 196% 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 $351 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $219 in Zalaegerszeg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,131 in Zalaegerszeg versus $2,476 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 119% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.