Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashkelon and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,394 in Ashkelon, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ashkelon
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Ashkelon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ashkelon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,394

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,394 in Ashkelon versus $1,619 in Budapest.

Ashkelon $2,394
Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,551 in Ashkelon versus $2,524 in Budapest.

Ashkelon $3,551
Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,708 in Ashkelon versus $3,429 in Budapest.

Ashkelon $4,708
Budapest $3,429

Living in Ashkelon is roughly 48% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashkelon 77% above, Budapest 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.07 ₪71.8

$13.94 Ft 4,503

65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 ₪252

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

32.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.60 ₪54.8

$10.19 Ft 3,291

72.72%

Cappuccino

$4.58 ₪14.25

$3.26 Ft 1,055

40.49%

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

$3.26 ₪10.15

$2.14 Ft 690

52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₪8.71

$1.78 Ft 577

57.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.10 ₪37.63

$3.71 Ft 1,198

226.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 ₪23.93

$3.77 Ft 1,217

103.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₪7.32

$1.15 Ft 371

104.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 ₪8.34

$1.79 Ft 578

49.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 ₪9.35

$2.49 Ft 804

20.88%

Eggs

$4.57 ₪14.21

$3.90 Ft 1,261

17.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ₪67.1

$11.10 Ft 3,587

94.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.94 ₪40.26

$6.62 Ft 2,139

95.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.38 ₪79.0

$14.69 Ft 4,745

72.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 ₪12.86

$1.83 Ft 591

125.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 ₪9.91

$2.05 Ft 661

55.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₪7.05

$2.37 Ft 765

-4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 ₪10.03

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-17.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ₪4.99

$0.99 Ft 320

61.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₪6.20

$1.00 Ft 322

99.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 ₪8.27

$1.58 Ft 511

68.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₪2.93

$0.67 Ft 216

40.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 ₪42.84

$7.96 Ft 2,572

72.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 ₪36.23

$6.22 Ft 2,009

87.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 ₪8.02

$1.27 Ft 411

103.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₪6.12

$2.03 Ft 654

-2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 ₪7.88

$1.52 Ft 490

66.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.33 ₪138

$28.02 Ft 9,053

58.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.17 ₪34.76

$3.31 Ft 1,070

237.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 ₪5.20

$1.37 Ft 442

21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.23 ₪122

$19.83 Ft 6,406

97.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 ₪8.20

$1.82 Ft 589

45.05%

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

$57.8K ₪179.8K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

93.91%

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

$56.8K ₪176.7K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

68.01%

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

$214 ₪667

$171 Ft 55.3K

25.20%

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

$11.73 ₪36.49

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-50.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.41 ₪129

$23.29 Ft 7,526

77.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 ₪143

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-31.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.25 ₪100

$18.89 Ft 6,104

70.73%

Cinema Ticket

$16.56 ₪51.5

$9.30 Ft 3,004

78.06%

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

$1,220 ₪3,797

$533 Ft 172.3K

128.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ₪334

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.6 ₪235

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

73.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₪352

$110 Ft 35.7K

2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 ₪453

$119 Ft 38.4K

22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 ₪3,560

$830 Ft 268.3K

37.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 ₪2,989

$622 Ft 200.9K

54.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 ₪5,595

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

12.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 ₪4,575

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

25.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,741 ₪17.9K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-1.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,602 ₪17.4K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

44.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,977 ₪9,263

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

80.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

6.45

-22.79%

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

Last update for Ashkelon: 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

Ashkelon

$961 40.1%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 35.3% $339

Groceries & Markets

Ashkelon

$422 17.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 38.9% $164

Eating Out

Ashkelon

$392 16.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 43.2% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashkelon

$267 11.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 18.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ashkelon

$199 8.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 15.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ashkelon

$79 3.3%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 9% $7.1

Getting Around

Ashkelon

$74 3.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 40.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ashkelon and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashkelon pays 80% 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: $81.0 in Ashkelon vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Ashkelon

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

10:37 10:37 AM

1 h behind Ashkelon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,439

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.285 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.285 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ashkelon Budapest 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashkelon
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

Ashkelon vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Ashkelon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budapest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Ashkelon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,144 in Ashkelon versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Budapest – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $81.0 in Ashkelon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,394 per month in Ashkelon versus $1,619 in Budapest – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,394 in Ashkelon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Ashkelon. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budapest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budapest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ashkelon and Budapest 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 Budapest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Ashkelon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.