Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,258 in Szombathely versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,005 in Szombathely versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,753 in Szombathely versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Szombathely costs roughly 49% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Szombathely is 8% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.59 Ft 3,980

$18.74 €16.22

-32.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 Ft 17.7K

$69.5 €60.1

-19.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 Ft 2,839

$13.77 €11.92

-34.79%

Cappuccino

$2.47 Ft 780

$3.10 €2.68

-20.32%

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

$1.40 Ft 441

$2.83 €2.45

-50.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 Ft 422

$1.88 €1.63

-29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 Ft 586

$3.98 €3.45

-53.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 Ft 764

$4.53 €3.92

-46.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 Ft 390

$1.27 €1.10

-3.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 Ft 540

$2.16 €1.87

-20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 Ft 774

$1.76 €1.52

39.20%

Eggs

$3.43 Ft 1,084

$5.13 €4.44

-33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 Ft 3,352

$17.88 €15.48

-40.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 Ft 2,211

$9.65 €8.36

-27.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 Ft 5,359

$20.15 €17.44

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 Ft 731

$3.25 €2.82

-28.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 675

$2.23 €1.93

-4.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 Ft 811

$2.60 €2.25

-1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 Ft 1,086

$2.76 €2.39

24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 Ft 369

$2.21 €1.91

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 Ft 454

$2.12 €1.83

-32.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 Ft 601

$1.55 €1.34

22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 Ft 192

$0.95 €0.83

-35.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.56 Ft 2,708

$7.34 €6.36

16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 Ft 1,495

$8.05 €6.97

-41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 Ft 417

$1.54 €1.34

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 Ft 841

$2.79 €2.42

-4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 Ft 273

$3.11 €2.69

-72.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.69 Ft 8,755

$25.86 €22.39

7.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 Ft 901

$3.27 €2.83

-12.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 Ft 443

$1.48 €1.28

-5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.55 Ft 7,762

$34.27 €29.67

-28.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 Ft 598

$1.73 €1.50

9.25%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.4M

$36.4K €31.5K

-18.13%

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

$33.9K Ft 10.7M

$30.5K €26.4K

10.99%

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

$173 Ft 54.6K

$187 €162

-7.61%

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

$21.19 Ft 6,700

$15.14 €13.11

39.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 Ft 6,730

$37.69 €32.62

-43.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.16 Ft 15.5K

$55.9 €48.43

-12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 Ft 6,332

$17.08 €14.79

17.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 Ft 1,464

$11.41 €9.88

-59.42%

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

$437 Ft 138.1K

$997 €863

-56.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,042 Ft 2.5M

$16.5K €14.3K

-51.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 Ft 33.0K

$92.6 €80.2

12.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 Ft 16.9K

$41.22 €35.69

29.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 Ft 31.3K

$111 €96.3

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 Ft 36.7K

$125 €108

-7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 Ft 171.8K

$1,707 €1,478

-68.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 Ft 111.7K

$1,286 €1,113

-72.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 Ft 243.3K

$2,565 €2,221

-70.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 Ft 215.2K

$1,942 €1,681

-64.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,489 Ft 786.9K

$7,647 €6,620

-67.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,030 Ft 641.9K

$5,167 €4,473

-60.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,186 Ft 375.0K

$2,348 €2,033

-49.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

3.16

137.34%

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

Last update for Szombathely: September 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $543 in Szombathely and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 98% 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: $56.0 in Szombathely vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $336 per month, with Szombathely 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

Szombathely vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szombathely and Barcelona differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($1,258 vs $2,476 including rent). Szombathely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 98% 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: $543 in Szombathely versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Szombathely versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,258 in Szombathely versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szombathely but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Szombathely 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, Szombathely 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 Szombathely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.