Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Balikpapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $668 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
Learn more

Balikpapan Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Balikpapan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Budapest versus $668 in Balikpapan.

Budapest $1,619
Balikpapan $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,524 in Budapest versus $1,048 in Balikpapan.

Budapest $2,524
Balikpapan $1,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Budapest versus $1,428 in Balikpapan.

Budapest $3,429
Balikpapan $1,428

Living in Budapest is roughly 142% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budapest is 20% above, Balikpapan is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

902.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$10.95 Rp 197.1K

459.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$3.05 Rp 55.0K

234.10%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

139.71%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.37 Rp 6,712

478.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.38 Rp 6,871

368.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

64.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

13.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

67.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

114.66%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

53.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.38 Rp 132.8K

50.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.92 Rp 52.6K

126.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.04 Rp 144.7K

82.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.25 Rp 40.5K

-18.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

34.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

207.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.26 Rp 22.7K

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

-47.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

102.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

321.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

-70.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.87 Rp 33.7K

-32.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.02 Rp 54.3K

-32.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.29 Rp 5,219

424.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

187.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.38 Rp 6,777

260.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

665.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

136.36%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$23.4K Rp 420.6M

27.53%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$31.0K Rp 558.8M

8.92%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

153.59%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$4.36 Rp 78.4K

439.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$29.86 Rp 537.4K

-22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$23.74 Rp 427.4K

184.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$8.46 Rp 152.2K

123.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

227.46%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$93.1 Rp 1.7M

472.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$8,570 Rp 154.3M

95.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$38.14 Rp 686.6K

161.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$18.66 Rp 335.9K

133.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$141 Rp 2.5M

-21.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

67.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$203 Rp 3.7M

309.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$148 Rp 2.7M

320.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$537 Rp 9.7M

196.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$361 Rp 6.5M

224.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,258 Rp 22.6M

363.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$818 Rp 14.7M

375.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$238 Rp 4.3M

594.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

9.46

-31.82%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Balikpapan

$148 22.1% 76.2% $474

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Balikpapan

$206 30.9% 20% $51

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Balikpapan

$57 8.6% 74.2% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Balikpapan

$102 15.2% 53.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Balikpapan

$121 18.1% 27.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 65.8% $57

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Balikpapan

$4.2 * 0.6% 90.5% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Budapest and $203 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 594% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Budapest vs $11.00 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $206 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

15:10 3:10 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

701,066

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Balikpapan 10,700 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Balikpapan

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 Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest and Balikpapan differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($1,619 vs $668 including rent). Balikpapan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 594% higher in Budapest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $830 in Budapest versus $203 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $533 in Budapest versus $93.1 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $61.0 in Budapest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Balikpapan versus $1,619 in Budapest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Budapest and Balikpapan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.