Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
Learn more

Al-Ula Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-Ula 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 Al-Ula and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,184
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,757
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Al-Ula vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Al-Ula $2,330
Budapest $3,429

Al-Ula is about 27% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Al-Ula sits 12% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 SAR 22.91

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-56.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 SAR 138

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-39.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 SAR 29.87

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-21.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

Cappuccino

$3.17 SAR 11.89

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-2.76%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$2.14 Ft 690

-59.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$1.78 Ft 577

-85.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.15 Ft 371

51.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$1.79 Ft 578

-29.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$2.49 Ft 804

-7.63%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-40.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 SAR 27.75

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-33.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.27

$6.62 Ft 2,139

21.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 SAR 47.54

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$1.83 Ft 591

22.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$2.05 Ft 661

-14.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.37 Ft 765

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-59.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$0.99 Ft 320

24.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.00 Ft 322

28.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.58

$1.58 Ft 511

-22.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.02

$0.67 Ft 216

-19.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 SAR 25.28

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-15.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.52 Ft 490

-28.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$28.02 Ft 9,053

31.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-21.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$1.37 Ft 442

35.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.29

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-33.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.82 Ft 589

-64.29%

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

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

47.75%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-37.00%

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

$106 SAR 397

$171 Ft 55.3K

-38.10%

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

$33.21 SAR 125

$23.51 Ft 7,596

41.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 SAR 247

$23.29 Ft 7,526

182.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 SAR 309

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

22.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$9.30 Ft 3,004

43.33%

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

$425 SAR 1,596

$533 Ft 172.3K

-20.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-51.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 SAR 160

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-57.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 SAR 208

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SAR 361

$110 Ft 35.7K

-12.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$119 Ft 38.4K

-26.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$830 Ft 268.3K

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 SAR 1,397

$622 Ft 200.9K

-40.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-47.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,147

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-51.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 SAR 8,718

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-60.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,382 SAR 5,187

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-64.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

6.45

-14.11%

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

Last update for Al-Ula: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al-Ula

$372 31.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 67% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Ula

$205 17.3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 6.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Al-Ula

$203 17.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 27.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Ula

$127 10.7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 32.1% $41

Eating Out

Al-Ula

$115 9.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 93.5% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Ula

$109 9.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 21% $23

Getting Around

Al-Ula

$53 4.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 16.5% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Al-Ula 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Al-Ula versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $258 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

11:59 11:59 AM

1 h behind Al-Ula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,413

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-Ula Budapest 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-Ula
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

Al-Ula vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,184 in Al-Ula, $1,619 in Budapest – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,776 per month in Al-Ula and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-Ula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $425 per month in Al-Ula and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Al-Ula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,184 in Al-Ula to $1,619 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Al-Ula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.