Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Caraguatatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Caraguatatuba
🇧🇷 Brazil
$843
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Caraguatatuba

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $843 in Caraguatatuba, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Caraguatatuba $843

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,363 in Caraguatatuba, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Caraguatatuba $1,363

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,883 in Caraguatatuba, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Caraguatatuba $1,883

Budapest costs about 92% more than Caraguatatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Caraguatatuba is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$7.70 R$39.04
81.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$29.38 R$149
108.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$9.23 R$46.80
10.40%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$2.37 R$11.99
37.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.23 R$6.25
73.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.88 R$4.48
102.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$2.36 R$11.96
57.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$3.27 R$16.60
15.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.00 R$5.09
15.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.61 R$8.17
11.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.40 R$7.10
77.86%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$1.96 R$9.96
98.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$5.89 R$29.84
88.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$3.32 R$16.82
99.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$7.98 R$40.47
84.09%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$2.15 R$10.89
-14.88%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.67 R$8.46
22.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$1.46 R$7.39
62.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$1.42 R$7.19
174.65%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$1.27 R$6.45
-22.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$0.82 R$4.13
21.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$0.71 R$3.60
122.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.79 R$3.99
-15.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$2.16 R$10.96
268.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$7.00 R$35.46
-11.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.50 R$7.58
-15.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.59 R$13.11
-21.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.98 R$4.96
55.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$23.55 R$119
18.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$1.16 R$5.89
185.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.73 R$3.70
87.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$3.52 R$17.85
463.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.30 R$6.59
40.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$15.7K R$79.3K
90.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$29.5K R$149.6K
14.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$66.3 R$336
158.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$13.05 R$66.2
80.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$22.44 R$114
3.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$21.64 R$110
212.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$16.29 R$82.6
15.96%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$8.17 R$41.40
13.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$223 R$1,130
139.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$4,271 R$21.7K
292.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$57.8 R$293
72.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$56.6 R$287
-23.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$78.3 R$397
40.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$59.2 R$300
100.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$416 R$2,110
99.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$237 R$1,201
162.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$879 R$4,453
81.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$522 R$2,648
124.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$1,681 R$8,523
246.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$1,217 R$6,170
219.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Caraguatatuba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$336 R$1,704
391.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
8.15
-20.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Caraguatatuba
$237 61.9% $385
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Caraguatatuba
$176 31.8% $82
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Caraguatatuba
$145 35.2% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Caraguatatuba
$102 53.3% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Caraguatatuba
$113 32.4% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Caraguatatuba
$38 55.9% $48
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Caraguatatuba
$32 27.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $416 in Caraguatatuba. 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 391% 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 $29.00 in Caraguatatuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $176 – making Caraguatatuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba
🕒 Local time
05:50 5:50 AM
00:50 12:50 AM
5 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
134,873
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Caraguatatuba 10,190 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Caraguatatuba

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 Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caraguatatuba cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,264 in Caraguatatuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Caraguatatuba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Caraguatatuba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $223 in Caraguatatuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Caraguatatuba?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caraguatatuba, where all-in costs run around $843, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Caraguatatuba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Caraguatatuba more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Caraguatatuba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Caraguatatuba?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Caraguatatuba. 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.

Budapest vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?