Living in Debrecen

In Debrecen, unemployment is 5.2% (2022).

Debrecen is a city in Hungary. A monthly estimate placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €140.41 in August 2026. A station-based estimate gives a mean annual temperature of 11.1°C. Debrecen had a population of 202,130 in 2025. The city covered 461.7 km² in 2025. Population density was 437.8 people per km² in 2025. The city had 99,856 dwellings in 2022. The housing vacancy rate was 12.2% in 2022. A monthly estimate placed internet service at €19.18 in August 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-1721 sources

Population202,130people1 Jan 2025Official source · Largest settlements by population, 1 January 2025

Median gross salary (region)1,816EUR/month27 Aug 2026Official source · www.ksh.hu

Average net rent13.54EUR/m²/month30 Jun 2026Commercial source · Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m²

Unemployment rate5.2%country median 4.6% — 12% aboveOfficial source · KSH official data

PM2.5, annual mean20µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data

Which Hungary-wide rules apply when you move to Debrecen?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in HungaryNational rates and thresholds that apply in Debrecen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A monthly estimate placed a 10 GB mobile plan at €24.45 in July 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Debrecen?

Average net cold rent is 13.54 EUR/m² per month (2026-06), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

Average net rent (nettokalt): 13.54 EUR/m²/month · Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m²²⁰

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€366

Utilities, 85 m² flat€140

Fitness club€43

Mobile plan, 10 GB€24

Transport pass€24

Internet, 60 Mbps€19

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	43.27 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month	59.39 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	19.18 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	366.3 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.36 eur	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.45 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Debrecen. Jun 2026. Prices in Debrecen²¹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	23.56 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	140.4 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct	12.19 %	2022	KSH official data⁷Official
Dwellings	99,856 dwellings	2022	KSH official data⁷Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	13.54 EUR/m²/month	30 Jun 2026	Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m²²⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Cost of living

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €1,359 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €1,816, that leaves €457 before income tax and social contributions.

Where a Debrecen salary goesfixed monthly costs, share of the €1,359 basket · median gross salary €1,816/month

€457 left of €1,816

Net rent, 85 m² · 85%€1,151
Utilities, 85 m² · 10%€140
Transport pass · 2%€24
Internet and mobile · 3%€44

One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €1,359 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-09-17).

Is Debrecen a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker50%strong on work, weak on safety · range 40–60%

Skilled employee56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 47–65%

Student34%strong on education, weak on safety · range 24–44%

Family51%strong on family, weak on safety · range 40–62%

Retirement52%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 40–64%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 812 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 13.54 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2026-06

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 5.2% in 2022.

What is the unemployment rate in Debrecen?

The unemployment rate is 5.2 % (2022). Source: KSH official data⁹

Unemployment across cities in HungaryUnemployment in Debrecen is 5.2%. Of 277 cities with data, 124 have unemployment of 4 to under 6%.

124

2–44–66–88–1010–1212–1424–26

Debrecen 5.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public employment offices	1 count	15 Sept 2026	NFSZ — Debrecen employment department¹⁴Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct	76.89 %	2022	KSH official data⁸Official
G10 No Internet Pct	23.11 %	2022	KSH official data⁸Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,816 EUR/month	27 Aug 2026	www.ksh.hu¹⁹Official
Unemployment rate	5.2 %country median 4.6%	2022	KSH official data⁹Official

What does a salary buy in Debrecen?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€190of €1,210 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€1,210
Rent, 60 m²€13.54/m² · market price · Ingatlannet city statistics · 2026-06-30	− €812
Public transport pass€24 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03	− €24
Utilities, 85 m²€140 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03	− €140
Internet€19 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03	− €19
Mobile plan€24 · market price · Cost of Living in Debrecen. Jun 2026. Prices in Debrecen · 2026-07-31	− €24
Left over	€190

Take-home pay for other salaries and households

Public employment offices in Debrecen

NFSZ lists 1 public employment office in Debrecen (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

National Employment Service — Public employment service

National Employment Service of Hungary

Job Search

Search jobs

Open the Hungary service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher accounted for 27.2% in 2022.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Aug 2026	Official public language-service provider/location register¹⁵Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 3 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Hungarian as a second language (második idegen nyelvként) support programmes. How to enrol a child (kormany.hu).

A country-wide rule for Hungary; Debrecen's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.

Mobility and administration

Household broadband subscription was 76.9% in 2022. A monthly transport pass was estimated at €23.56 in August 2026.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	2 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁶Official
Nearest airport	DEB	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁷Official
Distance to nearest airport	5 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁷Official
Public transport monthly pass	21.13 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Eurostat³Official

Language courses and integration in Debrecen

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

1publicly funded course provider

Debrecen Summer School

4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 2

View official record

Check courses in Debrecen How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Debrecen

Climate and air quality

Annual precipitation was 380 mm in 2021. Annual PM2.5 was 20 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual sunshine totalled 2,730 hours in 2021.

Is the air quality good in Debrecen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 20 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data¹

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

2°-4°

5°-3°

11°1°

18°6°

22°11°

26°15°

28°16°

23°11°

17°6°

10°2°

3°-2°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.520WHO 5 · EU 25

NO₂19.2WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	19.2 µg/m³	31 Dec 2013	Eurostat²Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	20 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data¹Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 2.3 · Feb 5 · Mar 10.9 · Apr 17.7 · May 22.5 · Jun 26 · Jul 27.8 · Aug 28.1 · Sep 22.6 · Oct 16.6 · Nov 9.8 · Dec 3.2 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan -3.6 · Feb -2.7 · Mar 1.2 · Apr 6.1 · May 10.8 · Jun 14.6 · Jul 16 · Aug 15.7 · Sep 11.2 · Oct 6.2 · Nov 2.1 · Dec -2.2 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Average temperature by month	Jan -0.8 · Feb 0.9 · Mar 5.8 · Apr 11.9 · May 16.8 · Jun 20.3 · Jul 21.9 · Aug 21.8 · Sep 16.5 · Oct 11 · Nov 5.5 · Dec 0.4 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 24.3 · Feb 32.2 · Mar 30 · Apr 45.1 · May 59.3 · Jun 66.8 · Jul 67.7 · Aug 46.4 · Sep 47.3 · Oct 41.1 · Nov 40.5 · Dec 42 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV¹⁸Official
Annual sunshine	2,730 hours/year	2021	KSH official data¹⁰Official
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm	380 mm	2021	KSH official data¹⁰Official
Average annual temperature	11.1 °C	2021	KSH official data¹⁰Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Debrecen?

The published population was 202,130 people in 2025. Source: Largest settlements by population, 1 January 2025¹³

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 6,520 is not 4.3% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport96.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Cars per 1,000 residents	404.2 cars per 1000 people	31 Dec 2024	Eurostat³Official
City area	461.7 km²	1 Jan 2025	KSH official data¹¹Official
Foreign-resident share	4.3 %	31 Dec 2024	Eurostat⁴Official
Foreign residents	6,520 people	1 Oct 2022	Hungarian Central Statistical Office — Census 2022, population data by settlement⁵Official
Population density	437.8 people/km²	1 Jan 2025	KSH official data¹¹Official
Population	202,130 people	1 Jan 2025	Largest settlements by population, 1 January 2025¹³Official

Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2025

198,797

203,281

207,764

212,248

202,13020012008201220182025

Population fell 4.2% between 2001 and 2025, from 211,034 to 202,130.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2015–2024

4,246

5,864

7,483

9,101

8,76620152017201920212024

Foreign residents rose 87.2% between 2015 and 2024, from 4,682 to 8,766.

People and communities

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Catholic share	14.63 %	2022	KSH official data¹²Official
No religion or other, share	20.95 %	2022	KSH official data¹²Official
Protestant share	22.35 %	2022	KSH official data¹²Official

International community in Debrecen

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Citizenship

Population enumerated in the 2022 Hungarian Census; settlement data, population; all sexes and ages as source table defines · 2022 Census

Published group	People	Share
Citizenship	199,858	100.0%
Citizen of Hungary	193,338	96.7%
Foreign national	6,520	3.3%
Non-EU foreign national	5,303	2.7%
EU foreign national	1,216	0.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁶

Language spoken at home

Population enumerated in the 2022 Hungarian Census; settlement data, population; all sexes and ages as source table defines · 2022 Census

Published group	People	Share
German language spoken with family members or friends	481	0.2%
Romanian language spoken with family members or friends	239	0.1%
Ukrainian language spoken with family members or friends	236	0.1%
Gipsy (Romani, Boyash) language spoken with family members or friends	135	0.1%
Gipsy (Romani) language spoken with family members or friends	108	0.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁶

Ancestry or ethnicity

Population enumerated in the 2022 Hungarian Census; settlement data, population; all sexes and ages as source table defines · 2022 Census

Published group	People	Share
Belong to Gipsy (Romani) ethnic group	879	0.4%
Belong to German ethnic group	876	0.4%
Belong to Romanian ethnic group	633	0.3%
Belong to Ukrainian ethnic group	446	0.2%
Belong to Ruthenian ethnic group	178	0.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁶

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct	27.18 %	2022	KSH official data⁹Official

Alternatives for people set on Debrecen

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Pécs as a Debrecen alternative in the same country

Better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Rent: €8.96/m² Pécs vs €13.54/m² Debrecen−34%
Nearest airport: 10.0 km Pécs vs 5.0 km Debrecen+100%
Annual PM2.5: 13.0 µg/m³ Pécs vs 20.0 µg/m³ Debrecen−35%
Unemployment: 4.6% Pécs vs 5.2% Debrecen−12%
Residents: 139,412 Pécs vs 202,130 Debrecen−31%
Foreign residents: 5.0% Pécs vs 4.3% Debrecen+16%
Transport pass: €18 Pécs vs €21 Debrecen−13%

Full comparison More about Pécs

Tallinn as a Debrecen alternative in another country

Better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

Annual PM2.5: 3.0 µg/m³ Tallinn vs 20.0 µg/m³ Debrecen−85%
Rent: €7.33/m² (2008) Tallinn vs €13.54/m² (2026) Debrecenno percentage
Median gross pay, region: €2,068 (2025) Tallinn vs €1,816 (2026) Debrecenno percentage
Transport pass: €30 Tallinn vs €21 Debrecen+42%

Full comparison More about Tallinn

Alternatives with a better balance

same official-source families, comparable grain — left of gross salary after the same fixed costs

Debrecen€457this city Budapest€866+€409 Pécs€851+€394 Miskolc€793+€336 Szeged€693+€236

Nearby is not always better: the greyed row leaves less than Debrecen at the same fixed-cost basket. Every alternative publishes the same metric families, each with its own source and date.

Alternative cities in Hungary

Other cities in Hungary to compare with Debrecen, nearest in population first.

All Hungary cities

Szeged157,282 residents Miskolc141,440 residents Pécs139,412 residents Győr127,599 residents Nyíregyháza116,282 residents Kecskemét108,120 residents

How does Debrecen compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Debrecen's.

Open the full comparison

Debrecen in rankings

#2 of 30 in Largest cities in Hungary #8 of 9 in Warmest published cities and hubs

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Debrecen under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

Is Debrecen expensive?

Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €1,359 against a median gross salary of €1,816 (figures), leaving about €457 before income tax. Sources: the rent, recurring-cost and salary series published on this page, each with its own source and date.

How many people live in Debrecen?

The published population was 202,130 people in 2025. Source: Largest settlements by population, 1 January 2025.

How much does it cost to rent in Debrecen?

Average net cold rent is 13.54 EUR/m² per month (2026-06), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 948 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m².

Is the air quality good in Debrecen?

What is the unemployment rate in Debrecen?

The unemployment rate is 5.2 % (2022). Source: KSH official data.

What is the typical salary around Debrecen?

The median gross salary is 1,816 EUR/month. Source: www.ksh.hu.

How many foreign residents live in Debrecen?

6,520 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Hungarian Central Statistical Office — Census 2022, population data by settlement.

Is Debrecen a good place to live?

Debrecen may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people are in the Citizenship citizenship group in Debrecen?

The official citizenship distribution records 199,858 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2022 Census. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 17). Debrecen, Hungary: population, cost of living, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b9335b402912cd8fd04ab6ca331b15a1]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hu/debrecen/ Retrieved 2026-09-17. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_debrecen-hungary-population-cost-of-living-rent-salary_d97f2a8e9b14,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Debrecen, Hungary: population, cost of living, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-17},
  version = {b9335b402912cd8fd04ab6ca331b15a1},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hu/debrecen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-17. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Debrecen, Hungary: population, cost of living, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/hu/debrecen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b9335b402912cd8fd04ab6ca331b15a1; retrieved 2026-09-17; built 2026-09-17.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
Hungarian Central Statistical Office — Census 2022, population data by settlement Hungarian Central Statistical Office · nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-26
Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) language_spoken_at_home distribution nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-08-28
KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
KSH official data ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18

Show 11 more sources

KSH official data ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
KSH official data nepszamlalas2022.ksh.hu · checked 2026-07-18
Largest settlements by population, 1 January 2025 ksh.hu · checked 2026-09-01
NFSZ — Debrecen employment department NFSZ · nfsz.munka.hu · checked 2026-09-15
Official public language-service provider/location register nyariegyetem.hu · checked 2026-09-15
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-29
www.ksh.hu ksh.hu · checked 2026-08-27
Ingatlannet city statistics — Albérlet rent per m² Ingatlannet city statistics · ingatlannet.hu · checked 2026-07-29
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.