Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Albay

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $740 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Albay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Budapest versus $740 in Albay.

Budapest $1,619
Albay $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,524 in Budapest versus $1,099 in Albay.

Budapest $2,524
Albay $1,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Budapest versus $1,457 in Albay.

Budapest $3,429
Albay $1,457

Living in Budapest is roughly 119% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budapest is 20% above, Albay is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.98 ₱250

250.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$17.00 ₱1,070

260.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$2.72 ₱171

274.63%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.27 ₱143

43.61%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.62 ₱39.23

245.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.33 ₱21.01

439.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.17 ₱73.6

217.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.97 ₱124

91.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.85 ₱116

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.04 ₱65.2

72.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.86 ₱54.0

189.53%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.99 ₱125

95.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$4.92 ₱310

125.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.17 ₱263

58.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$6.55 ₱413

124.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.71 ₱171

-32.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.58 ₱99.3

29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.12 ₱133

11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.03 ₱65.0

278.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.78 ₱112

-44.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.26 ₱142

-55.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.86 ₱53.9

83.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.49 ₱30.89

36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.67 ₱168

198.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.49 ₱472

-16.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.10 ₱69.2

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.88 ₱118

7.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.26 ₱16.50

484.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$10.06 ₱634

178.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.68 ₱42.90

386.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.19 ₱11.90

621.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$1.65 ₱104

1101.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.38 ₱87.1

31.88%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$18.5K ₱1.2M

61.40%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

73.01%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$115 ₱7,229

49.05%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$15.40 ₱970

52.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$25.92 ₱1,632

-10.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$37.20 ₱2,342

81.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$5.27 ₱332

258.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.34 ₱336

74.16%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$133 ₱8,400

299.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,069 ₱445.1K

137.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$28.70 ₱1,807

247.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$19.91 ₱1,254

118.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$72.9 ₱4,587

51.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$50.2 ₱3,160

137.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$230 ₱14.5K

261.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$190 ₱11.9K

227.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$489 ₱30.8K

225.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$328 ₱20.6K

256.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,576 ₱162.2K

126.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$959 ₱60.4K

305.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$163 ₱10.2K

914.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.79

-5.01%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Albay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Albay

$190 25.6% 69.5% $432

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Albay

$176 23.7% 31.9% $82

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Albay

$81 10.9% 63.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Albay

$156 21.1% 28.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Albay

$77 10.4% 53.9% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Albay

$48 6.5% 44.4% $38

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Albay

$13 1.7% 71.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Budapest and $230 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 914% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Budapest vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $176 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇭 Albay

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

11:23 11:23 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

179,481

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Albay 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest and Albay differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,619 vs $740 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 914% higher in Budapest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $830 in Budapest versus $230 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Budapest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $61.0 in Budapest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $740 in Albay versus $1,619 in Budapest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Budapest and Albay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.