Cost of Living Comparison Between Szeged and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Szeged and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,078 in Szeged versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,643 in Szeged versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,208 in Szeged versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Szeged costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Szeged is 19% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 Ft 2,456

$17.15 €14.96

-54.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 Ft 14.4K

$68.1 €59.3

-33.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Ft 1,806

$13.64 €11.89

-58.14%

Cappuccino

$1.96 Ft 620

$2.78 €2.42

-29.50%

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

$1.37 Ft 433

$2.82 €2.46

-51.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 Ft 314

$1.96 €1.71

-49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 Ft 748

$4.43 €3.86

-46.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 Ft 683

$4.61 €4.01

-53.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Ft 350

$1.27 €1.11

-12.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 Ft 460

$2.13 €1.86

-31.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 583

$1.99 €1.73

-7.54%

Eggs

$2.82 Ft 893

$3.37 €2.93

-16.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 Ft 2,477

$18.96 €16.53

-58.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 Ft 1,863

$9.53 €8.31

-38.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 Ft 3,550

$18.73 €16.33

-40.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 587

$2.65 €2.31

-29.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 Ft 559

$2.35 €2.05

-24.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 646

$2.09 €1.82

-2.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 Ft 930

$2.73 €2.38

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 Ft 333

$1.96 €1.71

-46.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 Ft 380

$1.81 €1.58

-33.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 Ft 456

$1.51 €1.32

-4.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Ft 140

$0.89 €0.78

-50.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.24 Ft 2,292

$6.78 €5.91

6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 Ft 1,565

$7.92 €6.90

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 Ft 316

$1.37 €1.19

-27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 Ft 375

$2.40 €2.09

-50.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 Ft 493

$2.91 €2.54

-46.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.00 Ft 8,860

$28.66 €24.98

-2.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 Ft 900

$4.58 €3.99

-37.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 419

$2.04 €1.78

-34.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 Ft 5,405

$28.72 €25.03

-40.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 Ft 557

$1.82 €1.59

-3.30%

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

$26.4K Ft 8.3M

$39.3K €34.3K

-32.95%

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

$25.5K Ft 8.1M

$32.5K €28.3K

-21.56%

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

$106 Ft 33.6K

$187 €163

-43.18%

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

$24.84 Ft 7,860

$22.29 €19.43

11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 Ft 5,870

$36.37 €31.71

-49.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 Ft 12.6K

$57.5 €50.2

-30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.18 Ft 6,385

$20.74 €18.08

-2.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 Ft 2,517

$10.77 €9.39

-26.18%

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

$217 Ft 68.8K

$725 €632

-70.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,385 Ft 2.0M

$15.2K €13.2K

-57.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 Ft 28.2K

$87.9 €76.6

1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.65 Ft 8,116

$36.81 €32.09

-30.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 Ft 27.7K

$103 €90.2

-15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 Ft 33.7K

$119 €103

-10.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 Ft 137.8K

$1,524 €1,328

-71.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 Ft 107.8K

$1,227 €1,070

-72.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 Ft 209.4K

$2,727 €2,378

-75.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 Ft 173.9K

$1,984 €1,730

-72.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 Ft 1.0M

$7,469 €6,511

-56.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,387 Ft 755.4K

$5,243 €4,571

-54.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,336 Ft 422.7K

$2,393 €2,086

-44.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

3.39

72.57%

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

Last update for Szeged: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Szeged and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 79% 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: $45.00 in Szeged vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $319 per month, with Szeged 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

Szeged vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szeged and Barcelona differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,078 vs $2,359 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $436 in Szeged versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Szeged versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Szeged versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szeged but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szeged 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, Szeged and Barcelona 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 Szeged 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.