Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Basingstoke

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,488 in Basingstoke, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Basingstoke
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Basingstoke Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Basingstoke

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Basingstoke

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $2,488 in Basingstoke, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Basingstoke $2,488

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $3,772 in Basingstoke, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Basingstoke $3,772

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $5,056 in Basingstoke, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Basingstoke $5,056

Budapest is about 35% cheaper than Basingstoke, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Budapest and Basingstoke sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Basingstoke by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$19.56 £14.67

-28.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$89.5 £67.2

-31.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$10.26 £7.70

-0.68%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$4.68 £3.51

-30.34%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.93 £2.20

-26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.73 £1.29

2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$6.16 £4.62

-39.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$6.52 £4.89

-42.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.50 £1.13

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.65 £1.24

8.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.79 £1.34

39.11%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.70 £2.78

5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$11.31 £8.49

-1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$8.24 £6.18

-19.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.45 £9.34

17.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.97 £2.23

-38.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.64 £1.23

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.74 £2.05

-13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.18 £2.38

22.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.10 £1.58

-52.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.70 £1.27

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.97 £1.48

-19.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.75 £1.31

-61.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$23.17 £17.39

-65.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$13.34 £10.00

-53.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.89 £2.17

-56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.07 £2.30

-33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$4.04 £3.03

-62.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$169 £126

-83.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$6.50 £4.88

-49.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$2.31 £1.73

-40.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$13.20 £9.90

50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.92 £1.44

-5.21%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$37.8K £28.4K

-21.15%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$40.1K £30.1K

-15.70%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$271 £203

-36.88%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$15.83 £11.88

48.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$44.24 £33.19

-47.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$58.5 £43.86

15.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$26.70 £20.03

-29.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$13.23 £9.92

-29.71%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$1,209 £907

-55.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,427 £4,071

208.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$89.5 £67.1

11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$53.6 £40.17

-18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$105 £78.9

4.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$108 £80.9

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$1,267 £951

-34.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$1,100 £825

-43.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$2,184 £1,638

-27.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,989 £1,492

-41.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$8,430 £6,324

-30.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$7,762 £5,823

-49.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$3,698 £2,774

-55.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.07

27.22%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Basingstoke: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Basingstoke

$1.1K 44.2% 76.9% $478

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Basingstoke

$303 12.2% 17.6% $45

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Basingstoke

$306 12.3% 37.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Basingstoke

$331 13.3% 52% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Basingstoke

$160 6.4% 4.4% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Basingstoke

$85 3.4% 1.4% $1.2

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Basingstoke

$203 8.2% 358% $159

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $1,267 in Basingstoke. 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 124% higher in Basingstoke, 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 $90.0 in Basingstoke. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $303 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇧 Basingstoke

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

107,355

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Basingstoke 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Basingstoke

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 Basingstoke: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Basingstoke is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $3,732 in Basingstoke. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $1,209 in Basingstoke. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Basingstoke, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Basingstoke at $2,488. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Basingstoke it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Basingstoke makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.