Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bath and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,726 in Bath, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bath
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,726
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,726 in Bath versus $1,619 in Budapest.

  • Bath $2,726
  • Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,957 in Bath versus $2,524 in Budapest.

  • Bath $3,957
  • Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,187 in Bath versus $3,429 in Budapest.

  • Bath $5,187
  • Budapest $3,429

Living in Bath is roughly 68% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bath 102% above, Budapest 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bath
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.04 £17.29
$13.94 Ft 4,503
65.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.3 £73.7
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
60.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.44 £7.83
$10.19 Ft 3,291
2.45%
Cappuccino
$5.10 £3.83
$3.26 Ft 1,055
56.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 £2.02
$2.14 Ft 690
26.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 £1.32
$1.78 Ft 577
-1.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.74 £5.81
$3.71 Ft 1,198
108.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59 £4.94
$3.77 Ft 1,217
74.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bath
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 £1.12
$1.15 Ft 371
29.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.70 £1.28
$1.79 Ft 578
-5.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.49 Ft 804
-16.47%
Eggs
$4.36 £3.27
$3.90 Ft 1,261
11.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.39 £6.29
$11.10 Ft 3,587
-24.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 £7.11
$6.62 Ft 2,139
43.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.02 £9.77
$14.69 Ft 4,745
-11.37%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 £3.16
$1.83 Ft 591
130.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 £1.33
$2.05 Ft 661
-13.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 £1.99
$2.37 Ft 765
11.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 £3.10
$3.90 Ft 1,260
5.90%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 £1.58
$0.99 Ft 320
112.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.00 Ft 322
72.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 £0.94
$1.58 Ft 511
-20.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.45
$0.67 Ft 216
188.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.57 £17.68
$7.96 Ft 2,572
196.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.43 £7.83
$6.22 Ft 2,009
67.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 £2.12
$1.27 Ft 411
122.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 £2.39
$2.03 Ft 654
57.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Bath
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.44 £2.58
$1.52 Ft 490
126.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$130 £97.7
$28.02 Ft 9,053
364.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.33 £2.50
$3.31 Ft 1,070
0.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.37 Ft 442
22.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.35 £19.77
$19.83 Ft 6,406
32.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 £1.50
$1.82 Ft 589
10.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.2K
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
30.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.8K
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
21.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bath
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$298 £224
$171 Ft 55.3K
74.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.00 £15.00
$23.51 Ft 7,596
-14.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.50 £28.88
$23.29 Ft 7,526
65.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bath
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.78 £34.35
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-32.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 £14.84
$18.89 Ft 6,104
4.71%
Cinema Ticket
$13.79 £10.34
$9.30 Ft 3,004
48.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bath
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,579 £1,184
$533 Ft 172.3K
196.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.0K £18.8K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
49.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bath
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.7 £62.0
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-16.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.25 £22.69
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
-30.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 £73.8
$110 Ft 35.7K
-10.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.3 £63.3
$119 Ft 38.4K
-29.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bath
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,786 £1,340
$830 Ft 268.3K
115.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,349 £1,012
$622 Ft 200.9K
116.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,536 £2,653
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
121.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,117 £1,588
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
80.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.1K £7,607
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
73.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,777 £5,084
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
74.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bath
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,602 £2,702
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
118.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.11
6.45
-20.78%

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

Last update for Bath: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bath
$1.3K
Budapest
$622 53.9% $727
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bath
$357
Budapest
$218 38.9% $139
Eating Out
Bath
$347
Budapest
$223 35.7% $124
Groceries & Markets
Bath
$312
Budapest
$258 17.3% $54
Getting Around
Bath
$156
Budapest
$44 71.6% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Bath
$133
Budapest
$168 26% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Bath
$73
Budapest
$86 17.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,786 in Bath and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bath pays 118% 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: $98.0 in Bath vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Bath
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
19:27 7:27 PM
20:27 8:27 PM
1 h ahead of Bath
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
88,859
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 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
  • Bath Budapest 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bath
  • 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
Bath vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Bath?
Budapest is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bath or Budapest?
Average pay runs 118% higher in Bath, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Bath and Budapest?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,786 in Bath versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Bath and in Budapest?
All in, you'll spend $2,726 per month in Bath versus $1,619 in Budapest – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Budapest runs roughly 365% less than in Bath. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Bath or in Budapest?
At $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,726 in Bath, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Bath. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Bath or Budapest more family-friendly?
For families, Budapest is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bath, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Bath or Budapest?
Safety-wise, Bath 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Budapest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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