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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $980 in Zalaegerszeg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,468 in Zalaegerszeg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,955 in Zalaegerszeg.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 139% more expensive than Zalaegerszeg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Zalaegerszeg is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$11.61 Ft 3,622

51.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$56.8 Ft 17.7K

20.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$8.38 Ft 2,614

64.08%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.26 Ft 707

22.12%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.67 Ft 522

66.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.24 Ft 387

65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.82 Ft 567

153.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.91 Ft 596

140.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.99 Ft 307

29.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.40 Ft 436

50.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.06 Ft 644

-4.37%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.06 Ft 955

12.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$9.83 Ft 3,066

91.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.58 Ft 1,430

106.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.38 Ft 2,301

157.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.46 Ft 455

86.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.97 Ft 615

20.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.92 Ft 598

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.65 Ft 1,137

-24.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.17 Ft 364

68.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.20 Ft 376

49.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.16 Ft 363

30.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.58 Ft 180

55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.65 Ft 2,075

1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$5.80 Ft 1,808

30.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.82 Ft 255

75.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.41 Ft 439

70.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.04 Ft 325

191.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$17.23 Ft 5,375

64.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.21 Ft 1,002

38.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.06 Ft 331

93.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$18.67 Ft 5,826

57.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.76 Ft 549

7.39%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.1K Ft 8.1M

48.35%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$31.0K Ft 9.7M

4.29%

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

$189 €161

$135 Ft 42.2K

39.55%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$25.97 Ft 8,104

-14.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$19.75 Ft 6,161

86.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$37.15 Ft 11.6K

56.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$34.09 Ft 10.6K

-38.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.24 Ft 2,260

52.62%

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

$726 €622

$204 Ft 63.7K

256.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$12.3K Ft 3.8M

24.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$29.35 Ft 9,158

200.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$22.77 Ft 7,104

62.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$47.44 Ft 14.8K

116.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$52.3 Ft 16.3K

127.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$316 Ft 98.6K

383.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$273 Ft 85.3K

345.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$436 Ft 136.1K

540.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$292 Ft 91.3K

593.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,932 Ft 602.9K

267.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,592 Ft 496.7K

204.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$805 Ft 251.1K

198.76%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $316 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 199% 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 $57.0 in Zalaegerszeg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 139% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $980 including rent). Zalaegerszeg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 199% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $316 in Zalaegerszeg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $204 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 $980 in Zalaegerszeg versus $2,341 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 139% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.