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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,226 in Debrecen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,864 in Debrecen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,501 in Debrecen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 92% more expensive than in Debrecen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Debrecen is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$10.45 Ft 3,294

64.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$46.56 Ft 14.7K

46.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.28 Ft 2,925

46.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.68 Ft 529

65.48%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.10 Ft 347

156.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.75 Ft 235

161.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.13 Ft 357

292.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.96 Ft 618

135.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.05 Ft 331

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.62 Ft 511

31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.98 Ft 624

0.51%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.73 Ft 859

23.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.57 Ft 2,386

150.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.51 Ft 1,737

72.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.33 Ft 3,254

81.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.30 Ft 410

103.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.79 Ft 563

31.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.13 Ft 672

-1.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.52 Ft 794

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.78 Ft 246

151.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.05 Ft 331

72.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.02 Ft 635

-25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.54 Ft 170

64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.68 Ft 2,105

1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.39 Ft 1,384

80.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.11 Ft 350

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.18 Ft 373

103.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.36 Ft 430

113.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$24.30 Ft 7,657

17.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.99 Ft 941

53.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.14 Ft 359

78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$11.65 Ft 3,671

146.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.75 Ft 551

4.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.3K Ft 6.7M

84.80%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$25.3K Ft 8.0M

28.56%

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

$187 €162

$140 Ft 44.2K

33.16%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$27.54 Ft 8,676

-19.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$17.50 Ft 5,514

107.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$43.80 Ft 13.8K

31.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$7.44 Ft 2,343

178.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$8.40 Ft 2,646

28.21%

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

$725 €628

$264 Ft 83.1K

174.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$10.7K Ft 3.4M

41.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$67.5 Ft 21.3K

30.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$23.61 Ft 7,438

55.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$76.5 Ft 24.1K

35.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$91.8 Ft 28.9K

29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$547 Ft 172.4K

178.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$466 Ft 146.9K

163.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,008 Ft 317.4K

170.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$849 Ft 267.6K

133.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,983 Ft 939.7K

150.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$2,541 Ft 800.5K

106.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,293 Ft 407.5K

84.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.29

-53.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Debrecen: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $547 in Debrecen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 85% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $47.00 in Debrecen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $201 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 92% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,226 including rent). Debrecen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $547 in Debrecen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $264 in Debrecen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,226 in Debrecen versus $2,359 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 92% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.