Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ajka

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajka: $1,155 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest, Hungary
Ajka, Hungary
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,638
/mo nomad
Ajka
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,155
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ajka

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 Ajka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,638 in Budapest versus $1,155 in Ajka.

  • Budapest $1,638
  • Ajka $1,155

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,553 in Budapest versus $1,758 in Ajka.

  • Budapest $2,553
  • Ajka $1,758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Budapest versus $2,360 in Ajka.

  • Budapest $3,467
  • Ajka $2,360

Living in Budapest is roughly 42% more expensive than in Ajka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budapest is 20% above, Ajka is 15% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.81 Ft 4,552
$9.25 Ft 3,051
49.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.5 Ft 20.3K
$21.94 Ft 7,232
180.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.16 Ft 3,349
$7.68 Ft 2,532
32.29%
Cappuccino
$3.22 Ft 1,062
$1.14 Ft 377
182.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 680
$1.14 Ft 375
80.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 Ft 605
$0.55 Ft 180
232.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.60 Ft 1,188
$1.20 Ft 394
200.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 Ft 1,208
$1.10 Ft 363
232.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 Ft 392
$1.18 Ft 388
0.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 Ft 617
$1.35 Ft 445
38.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 780
$2.45 Ft 806
-3.27%
Eggs
$3.96 Ft 1,305
$3.70 Ft 1,219
7.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.16 Ft 3,680
$10.58 Ft 3,489
5.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.76 Ft 2,228
$6.44 Ft 2,122
4.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.35 Ft 4,731
$15.92 Ft 5,249
-9.86%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 Ft 596
$2.15 Ft 708
-15.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.11 Ft 695
$2.25 Ft 743
-6.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 Ft 770
$2.04 Ft 672
14.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 Ft 1,254
$3.33 Ft 1,099
14.11%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 327
$0.98 Ft 323
1.02%
Onion (1kg)
$0.98 Ft 324
$1.09 Ft 360
-10.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 Ft 512
$1.65 Ft 545
-6.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 230
$0.54 Ft 180
29.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.79 Ft 2,569
$8.10 Ft 2,672
-3.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 Ft 1,995
$5.22 Ft 1,719
15.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 Ft 421
$1.25 Ft 413
2.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 Ft 672
$2.05 Ft 676
-0.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 Ft 511
$1.16 Ft 383
33.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.28 Ft 8,995
$28.92 Ft 9,534
-5.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 Ft 1,087
$3.03 Ft 1,000
8.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 Ft 433
$1.71 Ft 564
-23.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.26 Ft 6,679
$18.00 Ft 5,935
12.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 600
$1.86 Ft 615
-2.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.7K Ft 9.5M
$27.7K Ft 9.1M
3.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1K Ft 10.9M
$35.8K Ft 11.8M
-7.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 Ft 56.8K
$127 Ft 41.9K
35.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.95 Ft 7,897
$22.09 Ft 7,281
8.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.31 Ft 7,685
$20.09 Ft 6,622
16.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.6 Ft 22.6K
$51.2 Ft 16.9K
33.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.91 Ft 6,235
$18.68 Ft 6,157
1.23%
Cinema Ticket
$10.18 Ft 3,356
$8.82 Ft 2,907
15.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$600 Ft 197.9K
$249 Ft 82.0K
141.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.5M
$6,771 Ft 2.2M
147.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.0 Ft 32.6K
$114 Ft 37.5K
-12.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.25 Ft 14.3K
$32.67 Ft 10.8K
32.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 Ft 37.2K
$91.1 Ft 30.0K
23.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 Ft 38.6K
$112 Ft 36.9K
4.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$836 Ft 275.6K
$474 Ft 156.4K
76.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$640 Ft 210.9K
$340 Ft 112.0K
88.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 Ft 526.9K
$774 Ft 255.0K
106.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 Ft 397.3K
$611 Ft 201.3K
97.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,625 Ft 1.9M
$3,352 Ft 1.1M
67.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,802 Ft 1.3M
$2,636 Ft 868.9K
44.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Ajka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,671 Ft 551.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
6.67
-3.30%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ajka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$640
Ajka
$340 46.9% $300
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Ajka
$250 3.3% $8.7
Eating Out
Budapest
$221
Ajka
$126 43% $95
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$219
Ajka
$169 22.9% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Ajka
$157 6.1% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Ajka
$69 22.6% $20
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Ajka
$45 4.2% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Budapest and $474 in Ajka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Budapest vs $22 in Ajka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $250 per month, with Ajka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇭🇺 Ajka
🕒 Local time
23:03 11:03 PM
23:03 11:03 PM
Same time as Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
26,408
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Ajka 120 km
From you
  • Budapest
  • Ajka

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 Ajka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Budapest and in Ajka?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,638 in Budapest and $1,155 in Ajka, so Ajka is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Budapest compared to Ajka?
You’d need roughly $2,457 in Budapest and $1,733 in Ajka to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Budapest and in Ajka?
Rent for a central apartment: $836 in Budapest versus $474 in Ajka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Budapest and in Ajka?
A monthly transit pass in Budapest runs roughly 6% less than in Ajka. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Budapest and Ajka?
Childcare runs $600 in Budapest versus $249 in Ajka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How far does $2,000 go in Budapest compared to Ajka?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ajka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Budapest and Ajka?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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