Cost of Living Comparison Between Szekesfehervar and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Szekesfehervar and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Szekesfehervar versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,633 in Szekesfehervar versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,253 in Szekesfehervar versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Szekesfehervar costs roughly 57% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Szekesfehervar is 24% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.09 FtΒ 3,382
$17.58 €15.12
-36.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.3 FtΒ 17.8K
$68.4 €58.9
-14.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.02 FtΒ 2,750
$14.06 €12.09
-35.85%
Cappuccino
$1.91 FtΒ 581
$2.78 €2.39
-31.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 FtΒ 390
$2.80 €2.41
-54.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 FtΒ 268
$2.06 €1.78
-57.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.90 FtΒ 578
$4.46 €3.84
-57.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 FtΒ 767
$4.61 €3.96
-45.34%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 FtΒ 342
$1.24 €1.07
-9.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 FtΒ 523
$2.03 €1.74
-15.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 FtΒ 640
$1.92 €1.65
9.38%
Eggs
$2.68 FtΒ 816
$3.31 €2.85
-19.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.76 FtΒ 2,367
$18.43 €15.85
-57.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.08 FtΒ 1,853
$9.49 €8.16
-35.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.87 FtΒ 4,535
$19.16 €16.48
-22.39%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 FtΒ 557
$2.64 €2.27
-30.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 FtΒ 539
$2.45 €2.11
-27.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 FtΒ 571
$2.12 €1.82
-11.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.83 FtΒ 863
$2.85 €2.45
-0.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 FtΒ 323
$2.04 €1.75
-48.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 FtΒ 362
$1.85 €1.59
-35.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 FtΒ 423
$1.47 €1.26
-5.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 FtΒ 135
$0.84 €0.73
-47.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.32 FtΒ 1,928
$7.14 €6.14
-11.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.25 FtΒ 991
$7.88 €6.78
-58.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 FtΒ 303
$1.38 €1.19
-28.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 FtΒ 433
$2.31 €1.99
-38.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 FtΒ 360
$2.98 €2.56
-60.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.71 FtΒ 7,537
$29.26 €25.17
-15.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 FtΒ 853
$4.60 €3.95
-39.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 FtΒ 348
$2.07 €1.78
-44.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.44 FtΒ 5,318
$29.18 €25.10
-40.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 FtΒ 525
$1.84 €1.58
-6.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K FtΒ 7.7M
$39.0K €33.6K
-34.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K FtΒ 7.7M
$32.7K €28.1K
-23.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 FtΒ 32.2K
$188 €162
-43.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.07 FtΒ 7,644
$22.93 €19.73
9.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 FtΒ 5,663
$36.71 €31.58
-49.41%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.98 FtΒ 14.0K
$57.4 €49.35
-19.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.66 FtΒ 5,081
$20.70 €17.80
-19.52%
Cinema Ticket
$6.46 FtΒ 1,970
$11.19 €9.63
-42.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$220 FtΒ 67.1K
$721 €620
-69.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,228 FtΒ 1.9M
$15.0K €12.9K
-58.60%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 FtΒ 19.6K
$86.2 €74.2
-25.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.72 FtΒ 6,930
$37.07 €31.89
-38.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.5 FtΒ 22.1K
$102 €87.8
-28.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.9 FtΒ 24.4K
$116 €99.7
-31.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$367 FtΒ 112.0K
$1,534 €1,319
-76.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$285 FtΒ 86.9K
$1,220 €1,050
-76.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$589 FtΒ 179.5K
$2,696 €2,319
-78.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$517 FtΒ 157.5K
$2,013 €1,732
-74.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,639 FtΒ 1.1M
$7,220 €6,211
-49.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,257 FtΒ 993.4K
$5,189 €4,463
-37.22%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Szekesfehervar
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,609 FtΒ 490.8K
$2,359 €2,029
-31.78%
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 Szekesfehervar: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $367 in Szekesfehervar and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 47% 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: $58.0 in Szekesfehervar vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $318 per month, with Szekesfehervar 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
Szekesfehervar vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Szekesfehervar and Barcelona?
Szekesfehervar and Barcelona differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $2,367 including rent). Szekesfehervar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, Barcelona earns 47% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Szekesfehervar and Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $367 in Szekesfehervar versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Szekesfehervar and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $220 in Szekesfehervar versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,012 in Szekesfehervar versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szekesfehervar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szekesfehervar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Szekesfehervar and Barcelona?
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.
Is Szekesfehervar or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Szekesfehervar 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.
Where should expats move: Szekesfehervar or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Szekesfehervar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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