Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Balikesir

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikesir: $931 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
Learn more

Balikesir Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Balikesir

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $931 in Balikesir, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Balikesir $931

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,462 in Balikesir, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Balikesir $1,462

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,993 in Balikesir, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Balikesir $1,993

Budapest costs about 74% more than Balikesir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Balikesir is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$7.19 ₺356

93.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$28.26 ₺1,399

116.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.59 ₺376

34.26%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.45 ₺171

-5.51%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.36 ₺67.2

57.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.35 ₺17.49

408.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.20 ₺158

15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.24 ₺210

-11.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.90 ₺44.56

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.95 ₺46.92

88.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.15 ₺106

15.81%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.00 ₺98.9

95.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.05 ₺398

37.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.94 ₺195

68.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$18.19 ₺901

-19.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.84 ₺91.3

-0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.89 ₺93.4

8.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.12 ₺55.6

111.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.03 ₺51.1

278.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.50 ₺24.60

98.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.38 ₺18.87

163.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.85 ₺41.90

85.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.70 ₺34.84

-4.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.01 ₺99.4

296.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$10.01 ₺496

-37.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.05 ₺102

-38.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.31 ₺164

-38.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.63 ₺31.36

141.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$40.21 ₺1,991

-30.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.10 ₺54.2

200.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.09 ₺54.0

25.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$4.19 ₺207

373.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.33 ₺65.7

36.84%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$42.6K ₺2.1M

-29.98%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$40.2K ₺2.0M

-15.93%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$62.5 ₺3,096

173.66%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$12.06 ₺597

94.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$14.87 ₺736

56.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$42.71 ₺2,115

58.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$29.82 ₺1,477

-36.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.01 ₺198

131.92%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$474 ₺23.5K

12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$12.2K ₺603.6K

37.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$24.30 ₺1,203

309.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$16.36 ₺810

165.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$82.3 ₺4,075

34.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$50.4 ₺2,496

135.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$378 ₺18.7K

119.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$296 ₺14.7K

110.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$801 ₺39.6K

99.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$550 ₺27.2K

112.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,149 ₺56.9K

407.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$801 ₺39.7K

385.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,289 ₺63.8K

28.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

39.8

-83.79%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Balikesir: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Balikesir

$296 31.8% 52.4% $326

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Balikesir

$215 23.1% 16.8% $43

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Balikesir

$153 16.4% 31.4% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Balikesir

$89 9.6% 58.9% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Balikesir

$78 8.4% 53.4% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Balikesir

$51 5.5% 41.1% $35

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Balikesir

$49 5.3% 11.4% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $378 in Balikesir. 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 28% 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 $28.00 in Balikesir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $215 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

01:26 1:26 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,196,170

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Balikesir 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Balikesir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 74% more than Balikesir, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,397 in Balikesir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,619 in Budapest and $931 in Balikesir. That's a gap of about 74%.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Balikesir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Balikesir, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Balikesir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Balikesir costs $931 versus $1,619 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 Balikesir. 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.