Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Békéscsaba and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Békéscsaba: $1,125 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Békéscsaba
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Békéscsaba Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Békéscsaba

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,125

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,125 per month in Békéscsaba vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Békéscsaba $1,125
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,647 per month in Békéscsaba vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Békéscsaba $1,647
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,169 per month in Békéscsaba vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Békéscsaba $2,169
Budapest $3,483

Békéscsaba is about 31% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Békéscsaba sits 17% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 Ft 2,906

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-35.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.36 Ft 14.7K

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-25.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 Ft 1,779

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-46.87%

Cappuccino

$2.22 Ft 718

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-35.84%

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

$1.38 Ft 446

$2.07 Ft 669

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 Ft 286

$1.77 Ft 572

-50.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 Ft 354

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-70.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 395

$3.80 Ft 1,229

-67.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 Ft 387

$1.16 Ft 374

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 Ft 475

$1.85 Ft 598

-20.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 Ft 706

$2.40 Ft 776

-8.75%

Eggs

$3.23 Ft 1,044

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 Ft 3,193

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 Ft 2,182

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 Ft 4,692

$14.49 Ft 4,682

0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 Ft 628

$1.88 Ft 607

3.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 659

$2.14 Ft 693

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 Ft 509

$2.30 Ft 744

-31.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 Ft 924

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-29.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$1.02 Ft 329

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 Ft 326

$0.99 Ft 320

2.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Ft 344

$1.58 Ft 510

-32.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Ft 155

$0.70 Ft 225

-31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.97 Ft 2,575

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.08 Ft 995

$6.18 Ft 1,997

-50.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 Ft 338

$1.24 Ft 401

-15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 Ft 690

$2.06 Ft 666

3.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Ft 410

$1.59 Ft 513

-20.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 Ft 883

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-20.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Ft 2,028

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-69.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 599

$1.93 Ft 624

-4.15%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.3M

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-1.59%

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

$34.6K Ft 11.2M

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-0.38%

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

$174 Ft 56.1K

$175 Ft 56.4K

-0.58%

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

$23.76 Ft 7,675

$23.62 Ft 7,631

0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.51 Ft 6,949

$23.60 Ft 7,625

-8.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.92 Ft 11.0K

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-50.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 Ft 3,058

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-8.15%

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

$548 Ft 176.9K

$535 Ft 172.9K

2.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K Ft 5.5M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 Ft 32.0K

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.41 Ft 10.1K

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-27.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 Ft 19.9K

$112 Ft 36.1K

-44.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 Ft 38.2K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 Ft 137.5K

$832 Ft 268.8K

-48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 Ft 109.3K

$629 Ft 203.3K

-46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 Ft 179.9K

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-64.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 Ft 140.6K

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-63.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 Ft 493.1K

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-73.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 Ft 386.7K

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-69.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,398 Ft 451.8K

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

-18.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Békéscsaba: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Békéscsaba

$338 30.1%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 85.9% $291

Groceries & Markets

Békéscsaba

$229 20.3%

Budapest

$262 16% 14.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Békéscsaba

$219 19.5%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 1.4% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Békéscsaba

$140 12.4%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 20.5% $29

Eating Out

Békéscsaba

$132 11.8%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 71.3% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Békéscsaba

$53 4.7%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 69.3% $37

Getting Around

Békéscsaba

$14 * 1.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 204% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Békéscsaba versus $832 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 22% 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 $45.00 in Békéscsaba versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $262 – making Békéscsaba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Békéscsaba

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

Same time as Békéscsaba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,460

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Békéscsaba Budapest 180 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Békéscsaba vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 46% more than Békéscsaba, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,687 per month in Békéscsaba and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Békéscsaba and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 Békéscsaba, where all-in costs run around $1,125, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Békéscsaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Békéscsaba costs $1,125 versus $1,641 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 Békéscsaba. 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.