Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Acuna

For one person, living is cheaper in Acuna: $1,128 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Acuna
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,128
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Acuna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Acuna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,128 in Acuna, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Acuna $1,128

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,861 in Acuna, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Acuna $1,861

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,594 in Acuna, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Acuna $2,594

Budapest costs about 43% more than Acuna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Acuna is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$12.22 MX$226
14.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$40.26 MX$744
52.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$8.18 MX$151
24.57%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$3.04 MX$56.1
7.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.26 MX$23.26
69.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$1.16 MX$21.43
53.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$2.25 MX$41.51
64.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$3.51 MX$64.9
7.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.82 MX$33.55
-36.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$2.58 MX$47.59
-30.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.73 MX$31.92
43.93%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$2.50 MX$46.18
56.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$7.88 MX$146
40.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$7.96 MX$147
-16.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$12.30 MX$227
19.43%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$3.08 MX$57.0
-40.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.52 MX$28.10
34.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$1.95 MX$35.95
21.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$1.74 MX$32.16
124.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$1.95 MX$36.12
-49.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$1.86 MX$34.34
-46.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.36 MX$25.17
16.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.22 MX$22.50
-45.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$4.08 MX$75.3
95.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$10.98 MX$203
-43.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.58 MX$29.24
-19.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$3.32 MX$61.3
-38.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.59 MX$10.92
157.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$2.47 MX$45.72
34.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$2.14 MX$39.55
-35.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$12.51 MX$231
58.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.31 MX$24.23
38.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$22.6K MX$417.6K
31.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$26.6K MX$491.6K
27.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$55.5 MX$1,025
208.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$21.62 MX$399
8.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$29.24 MX$540
-20.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$37.72 MX$697
79.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$19.85 MX$367
-4.84%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$5.30 MX$97.9
75.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$242 MX$4,477
120.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$4,625 MX$85.5K
262.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$55.0 MX$1,017
80.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$43.44 MX$803
0.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$111 MX$2,043
-0.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$93.6 MX$1,729
27.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$543 MX$10.0K
52.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$367 MX$6,785
69.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$963 MX$17.8K
65.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$817 MX$15.1K
43.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$2,129 MX$39.4K
173.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$1,319 MX$24.4K
194.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Acuna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
11.3
-42.92%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Acuna: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Acuna
$367 41% $255
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Acuna
$268 4% $10
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Acuna
$187 16.3% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Acuna
$106 51.2% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Acuna
$136 18.7% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Acuna
$48 43.9% $38
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Acuna
$16 * 64.9% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $543 in Acuna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $40.00 in Acuna. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $268 in Acuna – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇲🇽 Acuna
🕒 Local time
07:37 7:37 AM
00:37 12:37 AM
7 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
160,225
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Acuna 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Acuna

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
Budapest vs Acuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Acuna cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,693 in Acuna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Acuna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Acuna?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $40.00 in Acuna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Acuna?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Acuna?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Acuna, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Acuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Acuna more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Acuna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Acuna?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Acuna. 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.

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