Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Calapan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Calapan City: $710 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Calapan City
Learn more

Calapan City Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Calapan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Calapan City

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $710 in Calapan City, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Calapan City $710

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,088 in Calapan City, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Calapan City $1,088

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,467 in Calapan City, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Calapan City $1,467

Budapest costs about 128% more than Calapan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Calapan City is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$4.01 ₱252

247.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$16.85 ₱1,061

263.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$2.83 ₱178

260.07%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.25 ₱142

44.89%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.61 ₱38.53

250.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.30 ₱19.15

493.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.13 ₱71.0

228.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.90 ₱120

98.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.69 ₱107

-31.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.15 ₱72.5

55.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.97 ₱61.1

156.70%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.92 ₱121

103.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$4.78 ₱301

132.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.23 ₱267

56.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$7.03 ₱442

108.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.34 ₱147

-21.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.60 ₱101

28.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.36 ₱149

0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.14 ₱71.6

242.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.91 ₱120

-48.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.95 ₱123

-48.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.99 ₱62.3

59.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.55 ₱34.62

21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.99 ₱188

166.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.38 ₱464

-15.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.95 ₱59.6

33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.95 ₱123

4.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.24 ₱15.06

533.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$11.13 ₱701

151.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.79 ₱49.46

318.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.20 ₱12.48

585.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$1.94 ₱122

922.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.05 ₱66.3

73.33%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$23.0K ₱1.4M

29.64%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

80.20%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$121 ₱7,642

40.99%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$14.21 ₱895

65.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$24.23 ₱1,525

-3.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$32.71 ₱2,059

106.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$5.12 ₱323

268.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.07 ₱319

83.43%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$125 ₱7,875

326.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,935 ₱499.6K

111.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$32.35 ₱2,037

207.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$19.22 ₱1,210

126.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$69.8 ₱4,395

58.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$57.0 ₱3,589

108.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$232 ₱14.6K

258.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$156 ₱9,819

298.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$497 ₱31.3K

220.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$336 ₱21.1K

248.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,385 ₱150.2K

144.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,002 ₱63.1K

288.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$118 ₱7,460

1293.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.79

-5.01%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Calapan City

$156 22% 74.9% $466

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Calapan City

$177 24.9% 31.5% $81

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Calapan City

$81 11.4% 63.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Calapan City

$160 22.5% 26.7% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Calapan City

$80 11.3% 52.1% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Calapan City

$43 6% 50.2% $43

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Calapan City

$14 2% 68.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $232 in Calapan City. 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 1293% 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 Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $177 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇭 Calapan City

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

11:47 11:47 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

145,786

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Calapan City 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Calapan City

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 Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 128%, 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 $1,065 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 152% less in Calapan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $125 in Calapan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calapan City – 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 Calapan City. 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.