Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $931 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
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Balikesir Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$931

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Balikesir vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Balikesir $931
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,462 per month in Balikesir vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Balikesir $1,462
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,993 per month in Balikesir vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Balikesir $1,993
Budapest $3,429

Balikesir is about 42% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Balikesir sits 31% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₺356

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-48.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 ₺1,399

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-53.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 ₺376

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-25.52%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ₺171

$3.26 Ft 1,055

5.83%

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

$1.36 ₺67.2

$2.14 Ft 690

-36.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₺17.49

$1.78 Ft 577

-80.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₺158

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ₺210

$3.77 Ft 1,217

12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₺44.56

$1.15 Ft 371

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.92

$1.79 Ft 578

-46.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₺106

$2.49 Ft 804

-13.65%

Eggs

$2.00 ₺98.9

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-48.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 ₺398

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-27.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 ₺195

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-40.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.19 ₺901

$14.69 Ft 4,745

23.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ₺91.3

$1.83 Ft 591

0.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₺93.4

$2.05 Ft 661

-7.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ₺55.6

$2.37 Ft 765

-52.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₺51.1

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-73.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ₺24.60

$0.99 Ft 320

-49.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₺18.87

$1.00 Ft 322

-62.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₺41.90

$1.58 Ft 511

-46.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$0.67 Ft 216

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ₺99.4

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-74.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 ₺496

$6.22 Ft 2,009

60.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₺102

$1.27 Ft 411

61.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₺164

$2.03 Ft 654

63.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺31.36

$1.52 Ft 490

-58.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.21 ₺1,991

$28.02 Ft 9,053

43.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ₺54.2

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-66.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₺54.0

$1.37 Ft 442

-20.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ₺207

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-78.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$1.82 Ft 589

-26.92%

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

$42.6K ₺2.1M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

42.82%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

18.95%

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

$62.5 ₺3,096

$171 Ft 55.3K

-63.46%

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

$12.06 ₺597

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-48.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.87 ₺736

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-36.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.71 ₺2,115

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 ₺1,477

$18.89 Ft 6,104

57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 ₺198

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-56.88%

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

$474 ₺23.5K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-11.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ₺603.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-27.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.30 ₺1,203

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-75.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.36 ₺810

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-62.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 ₺4,075

$110 Ft 35.7K

-25.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.4 ₺2,496

$119 Ft 38.4K

-57.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₺18.7K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-54.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ₺14.7K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-52.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₺39.6K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₺27.2K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-53.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,149 ₺56.9K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-80.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$801 ₺39.7K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-79.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,289 ₺63.8K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-21.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

39.8

6.45

517.05%

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

Last update for Balikesir: 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

Balikesir

$296 31.8%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 110% $326

Groceries & Markets

Balikesir

$215 23.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 20.1% $43

Eating Out

Balikesir

$153 16.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 45.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikesir

$89 9.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 144% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Balikesir

$78 8.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 115% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Balikesir

$51 5.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 69.8% $35

Getting Around

Balikesir

$49 5.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 10.2% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $378 in Balikesir 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 28% 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 $28.00 in Balikesir versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $258 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

23:26 11:26 PM

1 h behind Balikesir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,170

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Balikesir Budapest 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Balikesir
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

Balikesir vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 74% more than Balikesir, 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 $1,397 per month in Balikesir 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 Balikesir, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $931 in Balikesir and $1,619 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 74%.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Balikesir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Balikesir, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Balikesir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Balikesir costs $931 versus $1,619 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 Balikesir. 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.