Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $719 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
Learn more

Arequipa Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Arequipa

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $719 in Arequipa, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Arequipa $719

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,114 in Arequipa, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Arequipa $1,114

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,510 in Arequipa, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Arequipa $1,510

Budapest costs about 126% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Arequipa is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$3.41 PEN 11.73

310.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$27.27 PEN 93.8

121.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$5.68 PEN 19.53

75.35%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$2.47 PEN 8.48

36.84%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$0.82 PEN 2.82

159.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.38 PEN 1.32

392.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$2.07 PEN 7.12

81.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$4.40 PEN 15.13

-18.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.33 PEN 4.59

-15.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$1.36 PEN 4.69

35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.52 PEN 5.22

57.24%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$2.25 PEN 7.75

70.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$6.39 PEN 21.97

77.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$4.37 PEN 15.04

54.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$7.48 PEN 25.74

96.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$1.77 PEN 6.09

3.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$1.22 PEN 4.20

64.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.13 PEN 3.90

108.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$1.03 PEN 3.53

266.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.64 PEN 2.20

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$0.67 PEN 2.31

53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.54 PEN 1.87

188.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.76 PEN 2.61

-13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$5.18 PEN 17.82

53.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$5.04 PEN 17.32

19.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$2.72 PEN 9.37

-52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$2.20 PEN 7.58

-5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.28 PEN 0.95

435.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$2.01 PEN 6.90

64.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.97 PEN 6.78

-34.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$13.00 PEN 44.70

52.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.53 PEN 5.28

18.30%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$19.2K PEN 65.9K

52.97%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$25.0K PEN 86.1K

36.21%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$24.05 PEN 82.7

606.61%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$10.15 PEN 34.91

136.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$23.01 PEN 79.2

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$25.05 PEN 86.2

164.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$8.13 PEN 27.97

135.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$7.41 PEN 25.48

28.48%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$74.8 PEN 257

617.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$6,596 PEN 22.7K

151.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$48.85 PEN 168

107.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$26.46 PEN 91.0

62.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$68.0 PEN 234

65.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$57.3 PEN 197

107.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$354 PEN 1,217

127.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$236 PEN 812

166.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$714 PEN 2,458

116.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$418 PEN 1,436

179.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,991 PEN 6,847

182.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$974 PEN 3,351

307.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$617 PEN 2,122

163.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

-57.13%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Arequipa

$236 33.3% 62.5% $393

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Arequipa

$174 24.6% 32.5% $84

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Arequipa

$98 13.8% 56.4% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Arequipa

$57 8.1% 73.7% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Arequipa

$90 12.7% 46.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Arequipa

$40 5.6% 53.2% $45

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.8% 70.2% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $354 in Arequipa. 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 164% 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 $27.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $174 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

01:07 1:07 AM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

17,062

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, 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).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Arequipa 11,390 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Arequipa

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 Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 126% more than Arequipa, 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 $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,078 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $27.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% 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 Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $719 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 Arequipa. 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.