Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Arica

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $111 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Arica
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Arica Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Arica

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $111 in Arica, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Arica $111

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $178 in Arica, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Arica $178

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $246 in Arica, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Arica $246

Budapest costs about 1362% more than Arica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Arica is 92% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,525

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,307

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,060

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

$2.14 Ft 694

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 579

$1.25 CLP 1,230

42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,204

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,223

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.01 CLP 992

13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 580

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 808

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,267

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,605

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,149

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,769

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 594

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 664

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 769

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,266

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 322

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 514

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,585

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,019

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 413

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 658

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.70 CLP 691

117.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,098

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,075

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,438

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 591

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

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

$171 Ft 55.6K

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

$23.51 Ft 7,634

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,563

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,135

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,019

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

$533 Ft 173.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$40.20 CLP 39.6K

147.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$20.59 CLP 20.3K

111.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$53.9 CLP 53.1K

104.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$91.7 CLP 90.3K

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 517.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 380.0K

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 536.1K

$504 CLP 496.1K

227.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

29.00%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arica: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Arica

$10 * 9.1% 96.1% $248

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Arica

$5 * 4.5% 97.8% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Arica

$93 83.9% 44.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Arica

$2.8 * 2.5% 93.6% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 228% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇱 Arica

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

05:46 5:46 AM

5 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

202,131

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.15 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 985 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Arica 11,460 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Arica

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 Arica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,619 in Budapest, $111 in Arica – roughly 1362% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $166 in Arica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,619 in Budapest and $111 in Arica. That's a gap of about 1362%.

Groceries cost about 2461% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $111, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Arica 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 $111 in Arica 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 Arica. 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.