Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Castel

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,406 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Castel

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $2,406 in Castel, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Castel $2,406

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $3,787 in Castel, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Castel $3,787

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $5,167 in Castel, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Castel $5,167

Budapest is about 33% cheaper than Castel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Castel sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Castel by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$39.85 GGP 30.16

-64.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$80.5 GGP 60.9

-25.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$5.05 GGP 3.82

-33.07%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$3.23 GGP 2.45

-34.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$3.93 GGP 2.98

-52.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$4.32 GGP 3.27

-13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$6.53 GGP 4.94

-45.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.95 GGP 1.47

-42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$2.18 GGP 1.65

-16.97%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$26.18 GGP 19.82

-8.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$67.3 GGP 50.9

-65.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,986 GGP 1,503

-59.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$1,844 GGP 1,396

-65.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$4,012 GGP 3,037

-61.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$3,740 GGP 2,831

-68.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Castel: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Castel

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Castel

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Castel

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Castel

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Castel

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Castel

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Castel

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,986 in Castel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $80.0 in Castel. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $19.00 in Castel – so Castel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇬 Castel

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Guernsey Pound GGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 GGP = 1.32 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GGP, 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).

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 GGP (1 GGP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Castel 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Castel

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 Castel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Castel is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $3,609 in Castel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1224% cheaper in Castel – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $80.0 in Castel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Castel at $2,406. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Castel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.