Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Aqaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aqaba: $907 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Aqaba
Learn more

Aqaba Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Aqaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Aqaba

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $907 in Aqaba, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Aqaba $907

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,490 in Aqaba, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Aqaba $1,490

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,073 in Aqaba, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Aqaba $2,073

Budapest costs about 79% more than Aqaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Aqaba is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$2.78 JOD 1.97

401.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$69.4 JOD 49.11

-11.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.32 JOD 3.06

135.88%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$4.39 JOD 3.11

-25.74%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.60 JOD 0.43

256.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.60 JOD 0.42

196.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$8.25 JOD 5.84

-55.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$10.75 JOD 7.61

-64.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.43 JOD 1.01

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.51 JOD 0.36

250.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.59 JOD 1.12

56.60%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.72 JOD 1.22

126.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$5.55 JOD 3.93

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.32 JOD 3.06

53.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.00 JOD 7.08

46.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.44 JOD 1.02

27.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.40 JOD 0.99

46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.07 JOD 0.76

121.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.69 JOD 0.49

465.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.68 JOD 0.48

45.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.72 JOD 0.51

38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.60 JOD 0.42

163.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.53 JOD 0.38

26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.77 JOD 2.67

111.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$17.23 JOD 12.20

-63.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.78 JOD 1.97

-54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.53 JOD 1.79

-19.76%

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

$0.50 JOD 0.36

562.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.38 JOD 0.98

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$7.14 JOD 5.06

177.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.44 JOD 1.02

26.39%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$30.8K JOD 21.8K

-3.12%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$31.6K JOD 22.3K

7.14%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$127 JOD 90.0

34.61%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$15.73 JOD 11.14

49.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$31.46 JOD 22.27

-25.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$64.1 JOD 45.41

5.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.10 JOD 7.86

-16.22%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$486 JOD 344

9.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,863 JOD 2,027

485.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$27.70 JOD 19.61

259.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$42.79 JOD 30.29

1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$42.82 JOD 30.32

157.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$70.0 JOD 49.53

70.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$277 JOD 196

199.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$211 JOD 149

194.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$669 JOD 474

138.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$459 JOD 325

155.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,109 JOD 785

425.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$572 JOD 405

579.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$553 JOD 391

198.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.81

-5.29%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aqaba: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Aqaba

$211 23.3% 66.1% $411

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Aqaba

$190 20.9% 26.4% $68

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Aqaba

$155 17.1% 30.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Aqaba

$174 19.2% 20% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Aqaba

$82 9.1% 50.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Aqaba

$86 9.5% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Aqaba

$7.4 * 0.8% 83.3% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $277 in Aqaba. 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 199% 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 $69.0 in Aqaba. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $190 in Aqaba – so Aqaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇴 Aqaba

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

140,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, 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).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Aqaba 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Aqaba

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 Aqaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,360 in Aqaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,619 in Budapest and $907 in Aqaba. That's a gap of about 79%.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $486 in Aqaba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aqaba, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Aqaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aqaba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Aqaba. 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.