Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Debrecen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Debrecen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,378 in Debrecen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,209 in Debrecen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,040 in Debrecen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 80% more expensive than in Debrecen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Debrecen 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$14.09 Ft 4,483

33.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$50.6 Ft 16.1K

37.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.25 Ft 3,260

34.34%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.43 Ft 774

27.57%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.66 Ft 527

70.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.10 Ft 349

70.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.89 Ft 601

110.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.30 Ft 731

96.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.29 Ft 412

-1.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.56 Ft 496

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.54 Ft 808

-30.71%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.82 Ft 1,215

34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.60 Ft 3,371

68.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.92 Ft 2,200

39.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$15.68 Ft 4,988

28.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.10 Ft 668

54.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.32 Ft 739

-3.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.09 Ft 665

24.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.54 Ft 1,125

-22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.94 Ft 300

135.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.26 Ft 402

68.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.57 Ft 499

-1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.54 Ft 171

75.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$7.37 Ft 2,346

-0.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$4.33 Ft 1,379

85.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.26 Ft 402

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.19 Ft 697

27.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.57 Ft 501

98.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$26.97 Ft 8,581

-4.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.37 Ft 1,073

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.52 Ft 484

-2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$12.79 Ft 4,068

167.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.91 Ft 608

-9.42%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.2K Ft 10.6M

9.52%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$37.7K Ft 12.0M

-19.07%

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

$187 €163

$162 Ft 51.6K

15.40%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$26.88 Ft 8,552

-43.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$21.73 Ft 6,912

73.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$48.84 Ft 15.5K

14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$8.14 Ft 2,588

109.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$10.07 Ft 3,203

13.31%

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

$997 €869

$422 Ft 134.3K

136.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$11.1K Ft 3.5M

49.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$92.2 Ft 29.3K

0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.88 Ft 10.8K

21.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$89.0 Ft 28.3K

24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$106 Ft 33.7K

18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$633 Ft 201.3K

169.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$477 Ft 151.9K

169.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,216 Ft 386.7K

111.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$957 Ft 304.5K

102.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,097 Ft 985.2K

146.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,694 Ft 856.9K

91.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,279 Ft 407.0K

83.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.9

-54.20%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Debrecen: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $633 in Debrecen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 84% 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 $51.0 in Debrecen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $255 per month, with Debrecen 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 Debrecen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Debrecen differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,378 including rent). Debrecen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% 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 $633 in Debrecen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $422 in Debrecen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,378 in Debrecen versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Debrecen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Debrecen 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 Debrecen 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 Debrecen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.