Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cancun

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,428 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
Learn more

Cancun Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cancun

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,428 in Cancun, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Cancun $1,428

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,290 in Cancun, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Cancun $2,290

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,152 in Cancun, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Cancun $3,152

Budapest costs about 14% more than Cancun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Cancun sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Cancun by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$11.15 MX$203

25.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$54.6 MX$993

10.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$11.30 MX$206

-11.86%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$3.86 MX$70.3

-12.44%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.38 MX$25.03

54.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.80 MX$14.62

133.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$3.08 MX$56.0

21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$4.35 MX$79.1

-17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.63 MX$29.66

-30.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$2.71 MX$49.35

-32.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.65 MX$29.99

44.85%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$2.72 MX$49.55

40.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$9.93 MX$181

14.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$8.80 MX$160

-23.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$13.88 MX$252

5.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$2.83 MX$51.5

-34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$1.67 MX$30.38

20.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$3.20 MX$58.2

-26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$2.16 MX$39.37

74.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$2.03 MX$36.93

-52.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$1.90 MX$34.63

-45.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.15 MX$20.92

35.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.22 MX$22.26

-45.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$4.51 MX$82.0

76.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$10.03 MX$182

-40.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$1.56 MX$28.34

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$2.73 MX$49.67

-23.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.64 MX$11.71

134.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$28.64 MX$521

-3.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$4.50 MX$81.8

-26.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$2.98 MX$54.2

-56.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$13.62 MX$248

45.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.52 MX$27.58

19.08%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$21.0K MX$382.2K

39.57%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$24.5K MX$445.5K

39.26%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$172 MX$3,137

-1.46%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$23.50 MX$427

2.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$37.97 MX$691

-38.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$33.57 MX$611

97.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$13.50 MX$246

42.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$7.33 MX$133

29.88%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$205 MX$3,725

162.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$5,468 MX$99.5K

203.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$54.9 MX$998

84.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$54.7 MX$996

-21.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$76.9 MX$1,399

46.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$94.4 MX$1,716

25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$672 MX$12.2K

19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$464 MX$8,440

35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$1,375 MX$25.0K

12.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$1,075 MX$19.6K

8.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,281 MX$23.3K

338.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,985 MX$36.1K

99.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$819 MX$14.9K

98.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

11.45

-43.84%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cancun: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Cancun

$464 32.9% 26.3% $165

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Cancun

$287 20.3% 11.3% $29

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Cancun

$202 14.3% 9.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Cancun

$234 16.6% 7.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Cancun

$126 9% 25.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Cancun

$48 3.4% 43.4% $37

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Cancun

$51 3.6% 16.5% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $672 in Cancun. 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 99% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $55.0 in Cancun. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $287 in Cancun – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 Cancun

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

00:07 12:07 AM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

888,797

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Cancun 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Cancun

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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,141 in Cancun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 4% less in Cancun. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $205 in Cancun. 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 Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,428, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cancun – 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 Cancun. 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.