Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,400 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,400

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,400 per month in Ankara vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Ankara $1,400
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Ankara vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Ankara $2,082
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Ankara vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Ankara $2,763
Budapest $3,489

Ankara is about 14% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ankara and Budapest sit above the global median – Ankara by 4%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.32 ₺509

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-26.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 ₺2,071

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 ₺479

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-2.41%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₺196

$3.38 Ft 1,102

18.05%

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

$1.68 ₺82.5

$2.13 Ft 693

-21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₺37.15

$1.87 Ft 609

-59.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 ₺248

$3.75 Ft 1,222

34.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 ₺297

$3.57 Ft 1,163

69.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺57.5

$1.13 Ft 369

3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₺50.0

$1.84 Ft 600

-44.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 ₺117

$2.39 Ft 777

-0.84%

Eggs

$2.64 ₺130

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-31.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 ₺508

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-9.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 ₺273

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-17.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.01 ₺986

$14.69 Ft 4,784

36.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₺96.1

$1.84 Ft 598

5.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.01 Ft 654

13.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺65.3

$2.36 Ft 767

-43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₺86.8

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-53.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₺33.51

$0.96 Ft 314

-29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.03 Ft 335

-47.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₺50.4

$1.56 Ft 509

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₺33.15

$0.66 Ft 216

1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 ₺113

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-71.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 ₺615

$6.01 Ft 1,956

107.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₺109

$1.30 Ft 422

70.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₺158

$2.08 Ft 677

54.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₺34.00

$1.50 Ft 490

-54.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 ₺607

$27.61 Ft 8,991

-55.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.7

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-60.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺41.69

$1.30 Ft 424

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 ₺328

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-66.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₺68.1

$1.81 Ft 591

-23.76%

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

$48.9K ₺2.4M

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

66.60%

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

$41.2K ₺2.0M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

20.72%

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

$95.4 ₺4,700

$170 Ft 55.3K

-43.86%

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

$10.92 ₺538

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-54.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.83 ₺879

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-23.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 ₺3,568

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

9.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 ₺746

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-21.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺397

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-15.44%

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

$1,035 ₺51.0K

$537 Ft 174.8K

92.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K ₺982.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

20.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,646

$101 Ft 33.0K

-47.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 ₺2,349

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,108

$113 Ft 36.7K

-8.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₺4,710

$119 Ft 38.7K

-19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₺37.2K

$805 Ft 262.2K

-6.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₺28.4K

$629 Ft 204.9K

-8.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 ₺57.3K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₺43.9K

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-23.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,671 ₺82.4K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-70.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,171 ₺57.7K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-70.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 ₺54.3K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-32.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

6.43

577.60%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$577 41%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 9.1% $53

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$256 18.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 0.7% $1.8

Eating Out

Ankara

$207 14.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 8.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$135 9.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 25% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$124 8.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 75.1% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$89 6.3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 3.7% $3.3

Getting Around

Ankara

$21 1.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 111% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Ankara versus $805 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 48% higher in Budapest, 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 $42.00 in Ankara versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $258 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

1 h behind Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ankara Budapest 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
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

Ankara vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 16% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,100 per month in Ankara and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,035 per month in Ankara and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,400, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,400 versus $1,621 in Budapest. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ankara. 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.