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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,219 in Debrecen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,885 in Debrecen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,552 in Debrecen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Debrecen is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$10.42 Ft 3,151

63.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$46.66 Ft 14.1K

48.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$9.29 Ft 2,810

48.33%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.69 Ft 510

63.31%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.16 Ft 352

140.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.81 Ft 247

145.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.18 Ft 356

269.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.04 Ft 618

132.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.08 Ft 325

19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.55 Ft 469

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.10 Ft 635

-5.24%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.73 Ft 825

24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.61 Ft 2,303

147.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.42 Ft 1,639

72.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.51 Ft 3,181

81.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.25 Ft 377

116.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.75 Ft 529

33.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.03 Ft 616

4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.64 Ft 798

7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.79 Ft 238

149.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.01 Ft 306

78.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.01 Ft 609

-27.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.53 Ft 162

62.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.68 Ft 2,020

1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$4.77 Ft 1,443

65.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.11 Ft 335

25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.15 Ft 349

106.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.34 Ft 407

117.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$24.29 Ft 7,348

18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.07 Ft 929

45.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.19 Ft 359

72.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$11.65 Ft 3,523

153.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.66 Ft 503

9.64%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$21.7K Ft 6.6M

78.74%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$25.5K Ft 7.7M

29.94%

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

$189 €163

$138 Ft 41.8K

36.87%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$27.05 Ft 8,184

-15.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$17.44 Ft 5,277

115.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$45.25 Ft 13.7K

27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$7.77 Ft 2,350

166.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$8.65 Ft 2,616

25.09%

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

$728 €628

$257 Ft 77.6K

183.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$10.7K Ft 3.2M

38.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$65.9 Ft 19.9K

34.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$23.59 Ft 7,138

56.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$77.8 Ft 23.5K

31.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$90.1 Ft 27.2K

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$548 Ft 165.7K

186.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$464 Ft 140.5K

162.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,004 Ft 303.8K

178.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$848 Ft 256.7K

132.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$3,123 Ft 944.9K

148.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$2,642 Ft 799.2K

95.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,284 Ft 388.4K

82.54%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Debrecen: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $548 in Debrecen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 83% 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 $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 ($2,337 vs $1,219 including rent). Debrecen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 83% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $548 in Debrecen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $257 in Debrecen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,219 in Debrecen versus $2,337 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.