Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Antsirabe

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsirabe: $455 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Antsirabe
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Antsirabe Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Antsirabe

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Antsirabe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Budapest versus $455 in Antsirabe.

Budapest $1,619
Antsirabe $455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,524 in Budapest versus $684 in Antsirabe.

Budapest $2,524
Antsirabe $684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Budapest versus $912 in Antsirabe.

Budapest $3,429
Antsirabe $912

Living in Budapest is roughly 256% more expensive than in Antsirabe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budapest is 20% above, Antsirabe is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$1.08 MGA 4,931

1190.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$15.62 MGA 71.3K

291.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.62 MGA 25.6K

81.32%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.31 MGA 5,996

148.85%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.75 MGA 3,430

185.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.45 MGA 2,030

295.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.03 MGA 4,691

260.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

67.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.93 MGA 4,253

23.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.02 MGA 4,674

75.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.74 MGA 3,388

236.49%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.04 MGA 9,307

91.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.25 MGA 37.7K

34.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.48 MGA 20.4K

47.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$4.85 MGA 22.1K

202.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.07 MGA 4,894

71.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$0.53 MGA 2,398

286.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.05 MGA 4,774

125.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.81 MGA 3,687

381.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.58 MGA 2,650

70.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.96 MGA 4,396

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.34 MGA 1,574

364.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.45 MGA 2,055

48.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$1.53 MGA 6,993

420.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.01 MGA 22.9K

24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.96 MGA 4,396

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.85 MGA 8,458

9.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.30 MGA 15.0K

0.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.94 MGA 8,836

-29.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$4.42 MGA 20.2K

348.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.11 MGA 5,078

63.96%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

151.52%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.0K MGA 113.9M

35.42%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$73.7 MGA 336.3K

132.09%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$16.25 MGA 74.1K

44.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$56.8 MGA 259.0K

-58.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.45 MGA 24.9K

70.64%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$24.76 MGA 112.9K

2053.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.8K MGA 67.6M

13.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$28.64 MGA 130.7K

247.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$27.45 MGA 125.2K

58.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$76.1 MGA 347.2K

45.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$68.1 MGA 310.6K

74.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

15.75

-59.05%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Antsirabe: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Antsirabe

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Antsirabe

$138 30.4% 46.4% $120

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Antsirabe

$56 12.3% 75% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Antsirabe

$147 32.3% 32.7% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Antsirabe

$90 19.8% 46.2% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Antsirabe

$11 * 2.4% 87.3% $75

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Antsirabe

$13 * 2.9% 70.7% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Budapest vs $16.00 in Antsirabe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $138 per month, with Antsirabe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇬 Antsirabe

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

246,354

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, 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).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Antsirabe 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Antsirabe

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 Antsirabe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antsirabe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 256% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,428 in Budapest and $682 in Antsirabe 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Budapest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,619 per month in Budapest versus $455 in Antsirabe – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $455 in Antsirabe versus $1,619 in Budapest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Antsirabe but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Antsirabe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Antsirabe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Budapest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Budapest and Antsirabe 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 Antsirabe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.