Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajax, ON and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,482 in Ajax, ON, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ajax, ON
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,482
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajax, ON and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ajax, ON and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,482 per month in Ajax, ON vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Ajax, ON $2,482
  • Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,526 per month in Ajax, ON vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Ajax, ON $3,526
  • Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,571 per month in Ajax, ON vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Ajax, ON $4,571
  • Budapest $3,429

Ajax, ON costs about 53% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ajax, ON and Budapest sit above the global median – Ajax, ON by 84%, Budapest by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.81 CA$25.18
$13.94 Ft 4,503
27.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.0 CA$75.0
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
-13.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.42 CA$14.73
$10.19 Ft 3,291
2.26%
Cappuccino
$3.49 CA$4.94
$3.26 Ft 1,055
7.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 CA$2.45
$2.14 Ft 690
-19.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 CA$2.13
$1.78 Ft 577
-15.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.46 CA$4.90
$3.71 Ft 1,198
-6.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 CA$7.68
$3.77 Ft 1,217
44.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 CA$2.75
$1.15 Ft 371
69.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.80 CA$3.97
$1.79 Ft 578
56.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.33 CA$4.70
$2.49 Ft 804
33.73%
Eggs
$3.01 CA$4.26
$3.90 Ft 1,261
-22.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.91 CA$12.60
$11.10 Ft 3,587
-19.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.24 CA$15.89
$6.62 Ft 2,139
69.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.83 CA$23.79
$14.69 Ft 4,745
14.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.99 CA$5.64
$1.83 Ft 591
118.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 CA$2.30
$2.05 Ft 661
-20.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.10 CA$5.79
$2.37 Ft 765
73.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 CA$4.63
$3.90 Ft 1,260
-16.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.93 CA$4.14
$0.99 Ft 320
195.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 CA$2.73
$1.00 Ft 322
93.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.97 CA$4.20
$1.58 Ft 511
87.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 CA$2.67
$0.67 Ft 216
182.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.08 CA$19.90
$7.96 Ft 2,572
76.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.58 CA$17.78
$6.22 Ft 2,009
102.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 CA$2.82
$1.27 Ft 411
56.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 CA$3.72
$2.03 Ft 654
29.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 CA$3.32
$1.52 Ft 490
54.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.4 CA$121
$28.02 Ft 9,053
204.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 CA$4.63
$3.31 Ft 1,070
-1.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.37 Ft 442
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.92 CA$35.23
$19.83 Ft 6,406
25.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 CA$1.57
$1.82 Ft 589
-39.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K CA$38.5K
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
-8.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K CA$26.2K
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
-45.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 CA$178
$171 Ft 55.3K
-26.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.46 CA$37.41
$23.51 Ft 7,596
12.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.0 CA$80.6
$23.29 Ft 7,526
144.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.60 CA$47.50
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-50.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.32 CA$14.59
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-45.37%
Cinema Ticket
$9.94 CA$14.05
$9.30 Ft 3,004
6.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$885 CA$1,251
$533 Ft 172.3K
65.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K CA$24.8K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
4.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.32 CA$69.7
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-50.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.67 CA$53.3
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
-13.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.4 CA$118
$110 Ft 35.7K
-24.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 CA$148
$119 Ft 38.4K
-12.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,522 CA$2,152
$830 Ft 268.3K
83.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,384 CA$1,956
$622 Ft 200.9K
122.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,245 CA$3,173
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
40.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,134 CA$3,017
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
82.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ajax, ON
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,935 CA$4,149
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
77.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.8
6.45
-25.58%

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

Last update for Ajax, ON: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ajax, ON
$1.4K
Budapest
$622 55.1% $762
Groceries & Markets
Ajax, ON
$356
Budapest
$258 27.6% $98
Eating Out
Ajax, ON
$257
Budapest
$223 13.2% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ajax, ON
$209
Budapest
$218 4.1% $8.5
Clothing & Footwear
Ajax, ON
$124
Budapest
$168 35.4% $44
Getting Around
Ajax, ON
$98 *
Budapest
$44 54.9% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Ajax, ON
$53
Budapest
$86 61% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,522 in Ajax, ON versus $830 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 78% higher in Ajax, ON, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Ajax, ON versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Ajax, ON vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Ajax, ON
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
14:29 2:29 PM
20:29 8:29 PM
6 h ahead of Ajax, ON
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,677
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ajax, ON Budapest 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ajax, ON
  • Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Ajax, ON vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Ajax, ON?
Yes – Ajax, ON is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,723 per month in Ajax, ON and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Ajax, ON and in Budapest?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,482 in Ajax, ON and $1,619 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 53%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 205% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Ajax, ON or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Ajax, ON at $2,482. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ajax, ON it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ajax, ON or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ajax, ON or Budapest?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajax, ON makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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