Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Arar

For one person, living is cheaper in Arar: $1,185 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Arar
Learn more

Arar Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Arar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Arar

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,185 in Arar, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Arar $1,185

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,758 in Arar, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Arar $1,758

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,330 in Arar, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Arar $2,330

Budapest costs about 37% more than Arar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Arar is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.20 SAR 23.25

124.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$37.34 SAR 140

63.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.78 SAR 29.18

30.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.72

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.16 SAR 11.88

3.16%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.86 SAR 3.24

148.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.26 SAR 0.98

584.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-31.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.31 SAR 4.92

36.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.24 SAR 8.41

11.16%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.43 SAR 9.13

60.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.61 SAR 28.54

45.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$7.97 SAR 29.91

-16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.96 SAR 48.62

13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.25 SAR 8.46

-18.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.67 SAR 6.27

22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.59 SAR 5.97

49.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.64 SAR 6.14

137.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.23 SAR 4.62

-19.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.32 SAR 4.97

-24.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.22 SAR 4.58

29.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.55 SAR 2.06

21.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.50 SAR 24.38

22.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.04 SAR 3.91

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$36.99 SAR 139

-24.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.70 SAR 10.13

22.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.85 SAR 6.95

-25.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$13.26 SAR 49.76

49.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.64 SAR 2.40

184.38%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$43.8K SAR 164.5K

-32.04%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$21.3K SAR 80.1K

58.40%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$102 SAR 384

67.44%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$32.69 SAR 123

-28.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$67.5 SAR 253

-65.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$81.8 SAR 307

-17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$13.21 SAR 49.58

-29.60%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$421 SAR 1,579

26.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$8,110 SAR 30.4K

106.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$41.56 SAR 156

139.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$53.8 SAR 202

-19.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$96.2 SAR 361

14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$86.4 SAR 324

37.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$587 SAR 2,202

41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$377 SAR 1,416

64.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$826 SAR 3,100

92.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$574 SAR 2,155

103.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,369 SAR 8,891

146.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,355 SAR 5,084

187.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.54

16.43%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Arar

$377 31.8% 39.3% $245

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Arar

$204 17.2% 21% $54

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Arar

$115 9.7% 48.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Arar

$202 17.1% 7.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Arar

$125 10.6% 25.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Arar

$108 9.1% 25.6% $22

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Arar

$53 4.5% 20.1% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $587 in Arar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $37.00 in Arar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $204 – making Arar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇦 Arar

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

08:37 8:37 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

167,057

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Arar 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Arar

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 Arar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,619 in Budapest, $1,185 in Arar – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,778 in Arar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 32% less in Arar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $421 in Arar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arar, where all-in costs run around $1,185, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Arar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,185 in Arar to $1,619 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Arar. 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.