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

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

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

Living in Debrecen costs roughly 48% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 Ft 3,151

$17.08 €14.72

-38.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.66 Ft 14.1K

$69.2 €59.7

-32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 Ft 2,810

$13.78 €11.87

-32.58%

Cappuccino

$1.69 Ft 510

$2.76 €2.37

-38.77%

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

$1.16 Ft 352

$2.79 €2.40

-58.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Ft 247

$1.99 €1.72

-59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 Ft 356

$4.36 €3.76

-72.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 618

$4.74 €4.09

-56.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 Ft 325

$1.29 €1.11

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 Ft 469

$2.05 €1.77

-24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 Ft 635

$1.99 €1.71

5.53%

Eggs

$2.73 Ft 825

$3.39 €2.92

-19.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 Ft 2,303

$18.81 €16.21

-59.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 Ft 1,639

$9.36 €8.07

-42.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 Ft 3,181

$19.12 €16.48

-45.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 Ft 377

$2.70 €2.32

-53.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 Ft 529

$2.34 €2.02

-25.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 Ft 616

$2.12 €1.83

-4.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 Ft 798

$2.85 €2.46

-7.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 Ft 238

$1.97 €1.70

-59.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 Ft 306

$1.80 €1.55

-43.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 Ft 609

$1.45 €1.25

38.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 162

$0.86 €0.74

-38.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.68 Ft 2,020

$6.78 €5.84

-1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.77 Ft 1,443

$7.90 €6.81

-39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 Ft 335

$1.39 €1.20

-20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 Ft 349

$2.37 €2.04

-51.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 Ft 407

$2.92 €2.52

-54.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.29 Ft 7,348

$28.69 €24.72

-15.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 Ft 929

$4.46 €3.84

-31.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 Ft 359

$2.05 €1.77

-41.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.65 Ft 3,523

$29.55 €25.46

-60.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 Ft 503

$1.82 €1.56

-8.79%

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

$21.7K Ft 6.6M

$38.8K €33.5K

-44.05%

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

$25.5K Ft 7.7M

$33.1K €28.5K

-23.04%

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

$138 Ft 41.8K

$189 €163

-26.94%

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

$27.05 Ft 8,184

$22.80 €19.65

18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.44 Ft 5,277

$37.59 €32.39

-53.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.25 Ft 13.7K

$57.7 €49.75

-21.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.77 Ft 2,350

$20.74 €17.87

-62.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.65 Ft 2,616

$10.82 €9.33

-20.06%

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

$257 Ft 77.6K

$728 €628

-64.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K Ft 3.2M

$14.8K €12.7K

-27.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 Ft 19.9K

$88.6 €76.4

-25.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.59 Ft 7,138

$36.85 €31.75

-35.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 Ft 23.5K

$102 €87.9

-23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 Ft 27.2K

$116 €100

-22.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 Ft 165.7K

$1,569 €1,352

-65.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 Ft 140.5K

$1,218 €1,050

-61.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 Ft 303.8K

$2,795 €2,409

-64.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 Ft 256.7K

$1,975 €1,702

-57.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,123 Ft 944.9K

$7,754 €6,680

-59.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,642 Ft 799.2K

$5,176 €4,460

-48.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 Ft 388.4K

$2,343 €2,019

-45.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.29

3.39

115.04%

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

Last update for Debrecen: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $548 in Debrecen and $1,569 in Barcelona. 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: $47.00 in Debrecen vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $319 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 92% in total monthly costs ($1,219 vs $2,337 including rent). Debrecen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 83% less. 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: $548 in Debrecen versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $257 in Debrecen versus $728 in Barcelona. 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, 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 92% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.