Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $618 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
Learn more

Cabanatuan Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cabanatuan

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $618 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Cabanatuan $618

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $957 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Cabanatuan $957

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,296 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Cabanatuan $1,296

Budapest costs about 162% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Cabanatuan is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$4.09 ₱258

240.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$17.04 ₱1,073

259.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$2.76 ₱174

269.20%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.76 ₱111

85.23%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.60 ₱38.01

256.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.31 ₱19.25

474.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.01 ₱63.8

267.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.63 ₱103

131.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.60 ₱101

-28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.12 ₱70.3

59.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.93 ₱58.7

167.74%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.03 ₱128

92.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$5.21 ₱328

113.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.40 ₱214

94.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$7.85 ₱494

87.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.31 ₱146

-20.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.11 ₱69.6

84.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.32 ₱146

2.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.78 ₱49.05

400.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.73 ₱109

-42.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.73 ₱109

-42.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.63 ₱39.49

150.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.49 ₱30.84

36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.00 ₱189

165.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.74 ₱551

-28.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.97 ₱60.9

30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.05 ₱129

-0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.27 ₱17.23

462.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$12.74 ₱802

119.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.76 ₱47.88

335.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.25 ₱15.83

448.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$1.88 ₱118

954.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.95 ₱59.8

91.58%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

39.00%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

75.09%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$53.5 ₱3,370

219.67%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$17.42 ₱1,097

34.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$21.66 ₱1,364

7.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$11.25 ₱708

500.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$5.16 ₱325

266.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.31 ₱334

75.14%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$131 ₱8,249

307.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$10.9K ₱688.0K

53.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$23.58 ₱1,484

322.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$19.50 ₱1,227

123.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$59.1 ₱3,723

86.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$55.2 ₱3,474

115.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$248 ₱15.6K

234.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$173 ₱10.9K

260.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$479 ₱30.1K

232.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$317 ₱20.0K

269.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,513 ₱158.2K

132.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,092 ₱68.7K

256.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$159 ₱10.0K

937.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.75

-4.44%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cabanatuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Cabanatuan

$173 27.9% 72.2% $449

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Cabanatuan

$170 27.5% 34.1% $88

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Cabanatuan

$74 12% 66.8% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Cabanatuan

$93 15% 57.5% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Cabanatuan

$71 11.5% 57.7% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Cabanatuan

$22 3.5% 74.6% $64

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Cabanatuan

$16 2.6% 64.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $248 in Cabanatuan. 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 937% 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 $17.00 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $170 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

00:30 12:30 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

302,231

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Cabanatuan 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Cabanatuan

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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 162%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $927 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 120% less in Cabanatuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $131 in Cabanatuan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – 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 Cabanatuan. 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.