Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cape Town

For one person, living costs are similar in Budapest and in Cape Town: $1,621 and $1,568 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Cape Town $3,307

Budapest costs about 3% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Cape Town sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$11.78 R 194

18.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$46.55 R 768

29.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$5.96 R 98.4

67.11%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.47 R 40.80

36.84%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.33 R 21.91

60.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.03 R 16.99

81.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$3.01 R 49.72

24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.66 R 60.4

-2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.39 R 22.96

-18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.19 R 19.60

54.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.11 R 34.84

13.27%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.01 R 49.58

27.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$8.96 R 148

26.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$6.65 R 110

1.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$9.29 R 153

58.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.83 R 30.13

0.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.90 R 31.31

5.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.75 R 28.83

34.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.09 R 34.41

80.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.55 R 25.64

-38.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.49 R 24.53

-30.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.30 R 21.41

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.16 R 19.19

-43.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$3.71 R 61.2

114.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$6.06 R 100

-0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.39 R 22.85

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.20 R 36.32

-5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.51 R 24.98

-0.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$61.0 R 1,006

-54.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.63 R 10.33

423.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.53 R 25.29

-15.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$4.81 R 79.4

311.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.58 R 26.08

14.56%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-17.38%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$31.7K R 523.8K

7.43%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$116 R 1,920

46.02%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$28.37 R 468

-15.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$40.69 R 671

-42.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$48.85 R 806

35.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$11.13 R 184

72.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$8.83 R 146

7.81%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$261 R 4,314

105.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$6,702 R 110.6K

147.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$55.4 R 914

82.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$32.27 R 532

33.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$118 R 1,939

-4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$107 R 1,766

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$715 R 11.8K

-12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-13.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-12.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,331 R 38.5K

141.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,513 R 25.0K

162.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-0.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

10.97

-41.39%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 13.7% $86

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 13.7% $35

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Cape Town

$174 11% 22.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 14.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 16.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 22% $19

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 73.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 1% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $222 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Cape Town 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 121% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $261 in Cape Town. 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 Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Town – 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 Cape Town. 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.