Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Akita

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,213 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Akita
Learn more

Akita Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Akita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,213

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Akita

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,213 in Akita, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Akita $1,213

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,904 in Akita, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Akita $1,904

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,596 in Akita, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Akita $2,596

Budapest costs about 35% more than Akita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Akita is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$6.21 ¥981

126.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$31.98 ¥5,052

90.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$4.90 ¥775

111.63%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.54 ¥559

-2.26%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.99 ¥156

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.81 ¥128

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$1.93 ¥306

91.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$3.12 ¥493

21.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.52 ¥240

-23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.59 ¥252

16.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$4.11 ¥650

-41.61%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.04 ¥323

95.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$10.19 ¥1,610

11.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$6.52 ¥1,031

5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$16.23 ¥2,565

-10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$3.63 ¥573

-48.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$2.25 ¥355

-4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$2.83 ¥448

-18.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$4.20 ¥663

-3.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$2.43 ¥384

-58.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.48 ¥392

-60.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.29 ¥204

22.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.81 ¥127

-13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$4.01 ¥634

100.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$6.58 ¥1,039

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.88 ¥296

-34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$2.07 ¥327

-0.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.51 ¥239

5.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$54.0 ¥8,525

-49.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$3.19 ¥503

7.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$2.79 ¥440

-52.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$18.55 ¥2,931

10.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.31 ¥207

47.33%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$21.7K ¥3.4M

34.38%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

129.13%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$135 ¥21.3K

29.72%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$24.50 ¥3,871

-3.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$31.46 ¥4,971

-24.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$52.7 ¥8,332

30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$11.84 ¥1,870

-12.92%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$507 ¥80.1K

5.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$12.7K ¥2.0M

32.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$41.47 ¥6,552

140.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$46.21 ¥7,301

-6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$84.7 ¥13.4K

31.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$88.0 ¥13.9K

35.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$526 ¥83.1K

58.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$336 ¥53.1K

87.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,089 ¥172.1K

45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$723 ¥114.1K

65.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$4,173 ¥659.3K

37.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,782 ¥281.5K

121.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$1,613 ¥254.9K

6.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.21

191.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Akita: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Akita

$336 27.7% 46.6% $293

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Akita

$285 23.5% 9% $24

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Akita

$130 10.7% 42.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Akita

$191 15.7% 14.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Akita

$117 9.7% 30.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Akita

$76 6.3% 14.6% $13

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Akita

$77 6.4% 75.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $526 in Akita. 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 6% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $32.00 in Akita. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $285 in Akita – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Akita

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

23:17 11:17 PM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

307,672

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Akita 8,710 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Akita

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 Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 35% more than Akita, 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 $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,819 in Akita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 96% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $507 in Akita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Akita, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Akita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Akita costs $1,213 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 Akita. 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.