Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Bathurst

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $1,735 in Bathurst, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Bathurst despite lower rent and utilities.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Bathurst
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,735
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Bathurst

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,735 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Bathurst $1,735

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,012 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Bathurst $2,012

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,289 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Bathurst $2,289

Budapest is about 7% cheaper than Bathurst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Budapest and Bathurst sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Bathurst by 29%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,523
$16.04 CA$22.81
-13.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.9K
$41.48 CA$59.0
47.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,306
$11.34 CA$16.12
-10.14%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,059
$3.36 CA$4.78
-2.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 694
$1.90 CA$2.70
12.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 579
$1.56 CA$2.21
14.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,204
$5.02 CA$7.14
-26.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,223
$5.02 CA$7.14
-24.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 372
$1.76 CA$2.50
-34.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 580
$2.59 CA$3.69
-30.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 807
$2.47 CA$3.52
0.81%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,266
$3.57 CA$5.08
9.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,604
$10.86 CA$15.44
2.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,149
$9.22 CA$13.10
-28.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,767
$6.33 CA$9.00
132.07%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 594
$4.36 CA$6.20
-58.03%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 664
$1.58 CA$2.24
29.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 769
$4.57 CA$6.50
-48.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,266
$1.88 CA$2.67
107.45%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 322
$2.53 CA$3.59
-60.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 323
$1.49 CA$2.11
-32.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 513
$2.10 CA$2.98
-24.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 217
$1.62 CA$2.30
-58.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,584
$9.68 CA$13.77
-17.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,018
$12.03 CA$17.10
-48.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 413
$3.13 CA$4.45
-59.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 657
$4.39 CA$6.24
-53.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 492
$3.43 CA$4.88
-55.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,095
$61.8 CA$87.9
-54.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,075
$2.87 CA$4.08
15.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 444
$1.35 CA$1.92
1.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,436
$20.81 CA$29.58
-4.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 591
$1.20 CA$1.70
51.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.7M
$28.2K CA$40.1K
5.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 11.0M
$18.8K CA$26.7K
80.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.5K
$101 CA$143
69.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,631
$68.9 CA$97.9
-65.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,560
$60.0 CA$85.4
-61.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.9K
$44.21 CA$62.9
52.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,133
$31.92 CA$45.39
-40.82%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,018
$9.03 CA$12.84
2.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 173.1K
$565 CA$803
-5.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$1,662 CA$2,363
908.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.3K
$48.48 CA$68.9
105.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.1K
$39.24 CA$55.8
10.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.8K
$75.8 CA$108
45.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.6K
$79.1 CA$113
50.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 269.6K
$724 CA$1,030
14.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 201.9K
$686 CA$976
-9.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 517.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 379.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Bathurst
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 535.9K
$1,998 CA$2,841
-17.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
4.77
35.22%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Bathurst
$686 10.3% $64
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Bathurst
$311 20.6% $53
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Bathurst
$252 12.8% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Bathurst
$230 5.4% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Bathurst
$109 34.9% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Bathurst
$62 27.7% $24
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Bathurst
$85 92.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $724 in Bathurst. 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 21% higher in Bathurst, 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 $41.00 in Bathurst. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $311 in Bathurst – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇨🇦 Bathurst
🕒 Local time
23:01 11:01 PM
18:01 6:01 PM
5 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
12,157
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Bathurst 6,010 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Bathurst

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 Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bathurst cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,603 in Bathurst. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Budapest and in Bathurst?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,619 in Budapest and $1,735 in Bathurst. That's a gap of about 7%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 121% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Bathurst?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Bathurst at $1,735. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bathurst it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Bathurst more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Bathurst?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bathurst makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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