Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Arcos de Valdevez

For one person, living is cheaper in Arcos de Valdevez: $1,540 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Budapest despite lower rent and utilities.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Arcos de Valdevez
Learn more

Arcos de Valdevez Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Arcos de Valdevez

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Arcos de Valdevez

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 Arcos de Valdevez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Arcos de Valdevez $1,540

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,260 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Arcos de Valdevez $2,260

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,981 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Arcos de Valdevez $2,981

Budapest costs about 7% more than Arcos de Valdevez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Arcos de Valdevez sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Arcos de Valdevez by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$9.04 €8.04

55.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$42.22 €37.56

44.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$8.20 €7.29

26.46%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$1.82 €1.62

90.11%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.49 €1.33

38.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.14 €1.01

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.26 €2.01

63.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$2.82 €2.51

34.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.15 €1.03

0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.78 €1.58

3.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.41 €1.25

70.21%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.27 €2.02

75.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$8.69 €7.73

31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$8.11 €7.21

-15.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$14.33 €12.75

1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.92 €1.70

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.47 €1.31

45.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.76 €1.56

30.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$2.29 €2.04

76.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$1.84 €1.64

-44.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.66 €1.47

-40.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.02 €0.91

54.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.58 €0.52

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$5.74 €5.11

39.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$4.42 €3.93

39.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.13 €1.01

9.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.72 €1.53

19.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$2.25 €2.00

-29.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$42.01 €37.37

-34.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$4.51 €4.01

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.48 €1.31

-10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$20.86 €18.55

-1.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$2.14 €1.91

-9.81%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$27.5K €24.5K

5.96%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$37.9K €33.7K

-8.29%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$101 €90.0

72.66%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$16.68 €14.84

41.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$33.36 €29.67

-29.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$41.30 €36.73

66.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$16.41 €14.60

17.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$8.80 €7.83

17.16%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$458 €408

16.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,421 €5,711

162.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$95.2 €84.7

4.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$35.80 €31.85

20.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$76.5 €68.0

46.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$102 €90.4

17.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$961 €855

-13.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$753 €670

-16.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,519 €1,351

4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$1,193 €1,061

0.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$3,051 €2,714

87.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$2,210 €1,966

78.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$1,919 €1,707

-10.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.7

74.32%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arcos de Valdevez: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Arcos de Valdevez

$753 48.9% 19.7% $124

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Arcos de Valdevez

$228 14.8% 12.8% $33

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Arcos de Valdevez

$146 9.5% 35.4% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Arcos de Valdevez

$151 9.8% 31.9% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Arcos de Valdevez

$139 9% 17.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Arcos de Valdevez

$59 3.8% 34.2% $31

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Arcos de Valdevez

$63 4.1% 43% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $961 in Arcos de Valdevez. 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 12% higher in Arcos de Valdevez, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $42.00 in Arcos de Valdevez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $228 – making Arcos de Valdevez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇹 Arcos de Valdevez

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

21:28 9:28 PM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

20,720

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Budapest Arcos de Valdevez 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Arcos de Valdevez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 7% more than Arcos de Valdevez, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $2,310 in Arcos de Valdevez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $458 in Arcos de Valdevez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 Arcos de Valdevez, where all-in costs run around $1,540, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Arcos de Valdevez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arcos de Valdevez costs $1,540 versus $1,641 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 Arcos de Valdevez. 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.