Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Bydgoszcz

For one person, living is cheaper in Bydgoszcz: $1,461 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Bydgoszcz
Learn more

Bydgoszcz Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Bydgoszcz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Bydgoszcz

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,461 in Bydgoszcz, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Bydgoszcz $1,461

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,221 in Bydgoszcz, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Bydgoszcz $2,221

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,981 in Bydgoszcz, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Bydgoszcz $2,981

Budapest costs about 12% more than Bydgoszcz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Bydgoszcz sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Bydgoszcz by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$12.16 zł 47.25

15.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$63.0 zł 245

-3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$7.78 zł 30.21

33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.42 zł 13.29

1.17%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.10 zł 8.17

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.70 zł 6.61

4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$3.87 zł 15.02

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$3.67 zł 14.25

3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.04 zł 4.06

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.68 zł 6.54

10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$0.97 zł 3.77

147.42%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$3.86 zł 14.98

3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$9.19 zł 35.72

24.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$6.94 zł 26.95

-1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$11.97 zł 46.52

21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.36 zł 5.30

38.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.69 zł 6.56

26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.54 zł 6.00

49.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$3.17 zł 12.30

27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.93 zł 3.62

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.32 zł 5.12

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.13 zł 4.38

39.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.66 zł 2.57

6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$5.67 zł 22.02

41.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$8.13 zł 31.59

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.07 zł 4.16

15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.43 zł 5.55

44.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.95 zł 3.71

67.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$27.75 zł 108

-0.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$2.14 zł 8.30

60.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.78 zł 3.04

70.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$10.08 zł 39.18

102.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.55 zł 6.03

24.52%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$30.7K zł 119.2K

-5.00%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$29.7K zł 115.2K

17.10%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$282 zł 1,095

-38.05%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$7.93 zł 30.83

197.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$18.87 zł 73.3

25.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$39.69 zł 154

73.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$16.79 zł 65.2

14.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$7.71 zł 29.97

33.72%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$329 zł 1,278

62.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,120 zł 19.9K

228.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$82.1 zł 319

21.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$36.18 zł 141

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$89.4 zł 347

24.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$101 zł 392

17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$678 zł 2,633

22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$491 zł 1,907

28.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,116 zł 4,336

42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$896 zł 3,481

33.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,864 zł 11.1K

99.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$2,164 zł 8,409

82.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$1,497 zł 5,817

14.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.89

-6.39%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bydgoszcz: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Bydgoszcz

$491 33.6% 22% $138

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Bydgoszcz

$226 15.5% 13.6% $36

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Bydgoszcz

$204 13.9% 10.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Bydgoszcz

$309 21.1% 39.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Bydgoszcz

$139 9.5% 17.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Bydgoszcz

$55 3.8% 38.4% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Bydgoszcz

$38 2.6% 14.5% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $678 in Bydgoszcz. 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 14% 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 $63.0 in Bydgoszcz. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $226 in Bydgoszcz – so Bydgoszcz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇱 Bydgoszcz

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

359,428

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Budapest Bydgoszcz 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Bydgoszcz

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 Bydgoszcz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $2,191 in Bydgoszcz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1% less in Bydgoszcz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $329 in Bydgoszcz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bydgoszcz, where all-in costs run around $1,461, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Bydgoszcz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bydgoszcz – 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 Bydgoszcz. 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.