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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Debrecen costs roughly 44% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.09 Ft 4,483

$18.74 €16.33

-24.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 Ft 16.1K

$69.5 €60.6

-27.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 Ft 3,260

$13.77 €12.00

-25.56%

Cappuccino

$2.43 Ft 774

$3.10 €2.70

-21.61%

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

$1.66 Ft 527

$2.83 €2.47

-41.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 Ft 349

$1.88 €1.64

-41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 Ft 601

$3.98 €3.47

-52.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 Ft 731

$4.53 €3.95

-49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 Ft 412

$1.27 €1.11

1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 Ft 496

$2.16 €1.88

-27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 Ft 808

$1.76 €1.53

44.32%

Eggs

$3.82 Ft 1,215

$5.13 €4.47

-25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 Ft 3,371

$17.88 €15.59

-40.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 Ft 2,200

$9.65 €8.41

-28.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 Ft 4,988

$20.15 €17.56

-22.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 Ft 668

$3.25 €2.84

-35.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 Ft 739

$2.23 €1.94

4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 Ft 665

$2.60 €2.27

-19.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 Ft 1,125

$2.76 €2.40

28.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 300

$2.21 €1.93

-57.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 Ft 402

$2.12 €1.85

-40.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 Ft 499

$1.55 €1.35

1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 171

$0.95 €0.83

-43.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 Ft 2,346

$7.34 €6.40

0.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.33 Ft 1,379

$8.05 €7.01

-46.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 Ft 402

$1.54 €1.35

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 Ft 697

$2.79 €2.43

-21.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 Ft 501

$3.11 €2.71

-49.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 Ft 8,581

$25.86 €22.54

4.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 Ft 1,073

$3.27 €2.85

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 Ft 484

$1.48 €1.29

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.79 Ft 4,068

$34.27 €29.88

-62.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 Ft 608

$1.73 €1.51

10.40%

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

$33.2K Ft 10.6M

$36.4K €31.7K

-8.69%

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

$37.7K Ft 12.0M

$30.5K €26.6K

23.56%

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

$162 Ft 51.6K

$187 €163

-13.34%

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

$26.88 Ft 8,552

$15.14 €13.20

77.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.73 Ft 6,912

$37.69 €32.85

-42.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 Ft 15.5K

$55.9 €48.76

-12.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.14 Ft 2,588

$17.08 €14.89

-52.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 Ft 3,203

$11.41 €9.95

-11.74%

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

$422 Ft 134.3K

$997 €869

-57.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K Ft 3.5M

$16.5K €14.4K

-33.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 Ft 29.3K

$92.6 €80.8

-0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.88 Ft 10.8K

$41.22 €35.93

-17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 Ft 28.3K

$111 €96.9

-19.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 Ft 33.7K

$125 €109

-15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 Ft 201.3K

$1,707 €1,488

-62.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 Ft 151.9K

$1,286 €1,121

-62.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 Ft 386.7K

$2,565 €2,236

-52.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 Ft 304.5K

$1,942 €1,693

-50.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 Ft 985.2K

$7,647 €6,666

-59.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 Ft 856.9K

$5,167 €4,504

-47.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,279 Ft 407.0K

$2,348 €2,047

-45.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

3.16

118.35%

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

Last update for Debrecen: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $633 in Debrecen and $1,707 in Barcelona. 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: $51.0 in Debrecen vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $336 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

Debrecen vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 84% 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: $633 in Debrecen versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Debrecen 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 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, Debrecen 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 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.