Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethlehem and Budapest

For one person, living costs are similar in Bethlehem and in Budapest: $1,593 and $1,638 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem
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Bethlehem Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Bethlehem

🇵🇸 Palestine

$1,593

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,593 per month in Bethlehem vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Bethlehem $1,593
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $2,473 per month in Bethlehem vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Bethlehem $2,473
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $3,353 per month in Bethlehem vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Bethlehem $3,353
Budapest $3,467

Bethlehem is about 3% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Bethlehem and Budapest sit above the global median – Bethlehem by 17%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.16 ₪34.18

$13.81 Ft 4,548

-19.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.06 ₪150

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

-20.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 ₪42.61

$10.16 Ft 3,345

36.91%

Cappuccino

$4.48 ₪13.73

$3.22 Ft 1,061

39.13%

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

$1.32 ₪4.04

$2.06 Ft 679

-35.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₪3.09

$1.83 Ft 604

-44.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 ₪18.82

$3.60 Ft 1,187

70.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 ₪25.08

$3.66 Ft 1,207

123.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₪6.10

$1.19 Ft 392

67.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₪2.81

$1.87 Ft 616

-50.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ₪6.82

$2.37 Ft 779

-5.91%

Eggs

$2.62 ₪8.03

$3.96 Ft 1,304

-33.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 ₪32.75

$11.16 Ft 3,677

-4.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 ₪30.01

$6.76 Ft 2,226

44.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 ₪62.5

$14.35 Ft 4,727

42.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 ₪11.24

$1.81 Ft 595

102.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ₪6.27

$2.11 Ft 695

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ₪4.86

$2.33 Ft 769

-31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 ₪7.23

$3.80 Ft 1,253

-37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ₪4.59

$0.99 Ft 327

51.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 ₪4.87

$0.98 Ft 324

62.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 ₪5.02

$1.55 Ft 511

5.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₪3.05

$0.70 Ft 229

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 ₪30.68

$7.79 Ft 2,567

28.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 ₪44.35

$6.05 Ft 1,993

139.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₪6.80

$1.28 Ft 421

73.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₪6.79

$2.04 Ft 671

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 ₪7.48

$1.55 Ft 511

57.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 ₪440

$27.28 Ft 8,987

426.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ₪9.75

$3.30 Ft 1,086

-3.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 ₪10.19

$1.31 Ft 433

154.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ₪9.80

$20.26 Ft 6,673

-84.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 ₪7.25

$1.82 Ft 599

30.22%

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

$40.9K ₪125.3K

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

42.43%

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

$48.3K ₪147.8K

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

45.93%

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

$195 ₪599

$172 Ft 56.7K

13.50%

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

$39.21 ₪120

$23.95 Ft 7,890

63.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.23 ₪98.7

$23.31 Ft 7,679

38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₪201

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-4.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.15 ₪98.5

$18.91 Ft 6,229

70.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 ₪25.47

$10.18 Ft 3,353

-18.27%

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

$98.8 ₪303

$600 Ft 197.8K

-83.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,843 ₪30.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-41.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 ₪150

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

-50.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.0 ₪297

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

124.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 ₪343

$113 Ft 37.2K

-0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₪502

$117 Ft 38.6K

39.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₪1,472

$836 Ft 275.4K

-42.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ₪1,007

$640 Ft 210.7K

-48.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ₪2,741

$1,598 Ft 526.5K

-44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 ₪1,958

$1,205 Ft 396.9K

-46.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,618 ₪4,956

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-71.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 ₪3,447

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-70.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,304 ₪3,995

$1,671 Ft 550.6K

-21.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

55.04%

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

Last update for Bethlehem: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethlehem

$329 20.7%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 94.6% $311

Groceries & Markets

Bethlehem

$310 19.5%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 16.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethlehem

$267 16.8%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 17.8% $47

Eating Out

Bethlehem

$241 15.1%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 8.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Bethlehem

$190 11.9%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 11.8% $22

Getting Around

Bethlehem

$173 10.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 75% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Bethlehem

$82 5.2%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 8% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Bethlehem versus $836 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Bethlehem versus $61 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $310 in Bethlehem vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇸 Bethlehem

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

12:22 12:22 PM

1 h behind Bethlehem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,019

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.327 USD

1 ILS = 0.293 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.41 ILS (1 ILS = 0.293 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 329 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bethlehem Budapest 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bethlehem
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

Bethlehem vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,389 per month in Bethlehem and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bethlehem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,593 in Bethlehem and $1,638 in Budapest. That’s a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 81% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,593 in Bethlehem and $1,638 in Budapest. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bethlehem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bethlehem. 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.