Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Babol

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $477 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Babol

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $477 in Babol, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Babol $477

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $737 in Babol, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Babol $737

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $996 in Babol, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Babol $996

Budapest costs about 239% more than Babol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Babol is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.09 $3.09

351.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$10.50 $10.50

483.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$3.95 $3.95

157.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 $0.69

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.07 $1.07

204.67%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.29 $0.29

637.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.67 $1.67

6.59%

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

$0.67 $0.67

71.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.18 $0.18

894.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.45 $2.45

1.63%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.17 $1.17

233.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$1.94 $1.94

472.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.36 $3.36

97.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.53 $9.53

54.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.17 $1.17

56.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.44 $1.44

42.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$0.48 $0.48

393.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.48 $0.48

712.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.29 $0.29

241.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.29 $0.29

244.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.31 $0.31

409.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.13 $0.13

415.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.27 $2.27

250.66%

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

$0.13 $0.13

1069.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$9.76 $9.76

187.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.48 $0.48

589.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.31 $0.31

341.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.03 $3.03

554.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.10 $0.10

1720.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$49.7K $49.7K

-40.07%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$30.1K $30.1K

12.42%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$12.98 $12.98

1218.34%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$1.63 $1.63

1342.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$3.73 $3.73

524.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$18.30 $18.30

269.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$13.24 $13.24

42.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$1.96 $1.96

374.49%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$48.30 $48.30

1004.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,428 $2,428

590.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$19.88 $19.88

401.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$15.17 $15.17

186.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$52.9 $52.9

108.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$39.50 $39.50

201.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$288 $288

188.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$213 $213

192.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$783 $783

103.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$361 $361

223.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$908 $908

542.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$597 $597

550.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$127 $127

1200.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

23.75

-72.84%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Babol: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Babol

$213 44.6% 65.8% $409

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Babol

$97 20.4% 62.3% $161

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Babol

$57 12% 74.4% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Babol

$18 3.8% 91.6% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Babol

$57 12% 65.8% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Babol

$22 4.7% 74.2% $64

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Babol

$12 2.6% 72.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $288 in Babol. 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 1201% 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 $10.00 in Babol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $97.0 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇷 Babol

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

16:35 4:35 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

220,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Babol 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Babol

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 Babol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,619 in Budapest, $477 in Babol – roughly 239% 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 $716 in Babol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 187% less in Babol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $48.30 in Babol. 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 Babol, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Babol 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 $477 in Babol 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 Babol. 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.