Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,400 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
Learn more

Ankara Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ankara

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,400 in Ankara, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Ankara $1,400

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,082 in Ankara, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Ankara $2,082

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,763 in Ankara, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Ankara $2,763

Budapest costs about 16% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Ankara sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Ankara by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$10.32 ₺509

35.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$42.03 ₺2,071

43.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$9.72 ₺479

2.47%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$3.99 ₺196

-15.29%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.68 ₺82.5

26.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.75 ₺37.15

149.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$5.03 ₺248

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$6.04 ₺297

-40.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.17 ₺57.5

-3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$1.02 ₺50.0

80.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.37 ₺117

0.84%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$2.64 ₺130

45.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$10.31 ₺508

9.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$5.54 ₺273

21.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$20.01 ₺986

-26.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$1.95 ₺96.1

-5.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$2.29 ₺113

-12.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.33 ₺65.3

77.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$1.76 ₺86.8

114.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.68 ₺33.51

41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$0.54 ₺26.83

90.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.02 ₺50.4

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.67 ₺33.15

-1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$2.29 ₺113

247.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$12.47 ₺615

-51.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$2.22 ₺109

-41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$3.21 ₺158

-35.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.69 ₺34.00

117.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$12.31 ₺607

124.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$1.29 ₺63.7

155.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.85 ₺41.69

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$6.66 ₺328

197.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.38 ₺68.1

31.16%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$48.9K ₺2.4M

-39.98%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$41.2K ₺2.0M

-17.17%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$95.4 ₺4,700

78.13%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$10.92 ₺538

119.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$17.83 ₺879

31.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$72.4 ₺3,568

-8.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$15.15 ₺746

26.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$8.05 ₺397

18.26%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$1,035 ₺51.0K

-48.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$19.9K ₺982.1K

-16.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$53.7 ₺2,646

88.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$47.68 ₺2,349

-9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$104 ₺5,108

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$95.6 ₺4,710

24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$756 ₺37.2K

6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$577 ₺28.4K

9.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$1,162 ₺57.3K

33.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$891 ₺43.9K

31.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,671 ₺82.4K

236.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,171 ₺57.7K

238.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$1,101 ₺54.3K

47.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

43.57

-85.24%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ankara: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Ankara

$577 41% 8.4% $53

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Ankara

$256 18.2% 0.7% $1.8

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Ankara

$207 14.7% 7.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Ankara

$124 8.8% 42.9% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Ankara

$135 9.6% 20% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Ankara

$89 6.3% 3.8% $3.3

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Ankara

$21 1.5% 52.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $756 in Ankara. 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 48% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $42.00 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $256 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Ankara 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Ankara

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 Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 16% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,100 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $1,035 in Ankara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,400, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,400 versus $1,621 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 Ankara. 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.