Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Castries

For one person, living is cheaper in Castries: $1,413 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Castries
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Castries Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Castries

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,413 in Castries, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Castries $1,413

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,371 in Castries, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Castries $2,371

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,330 in Castries, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Castries $3,330

Budapest costs about 15% more than Castries, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Castries sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Castries by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$9.42 EC$25.43

48.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$74.5 EC$201

-18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$8.41 EC$22.72

18.43%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.67 EC$9.90

-7.90%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.97 EC$5.31

8.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.01 EC$2.73

85.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.86 EC$7.72

31.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.28 EC$8.86

8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.02 EC$5.46

-44.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.85 EC$4.99

-0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.72 EC$4.65

38.95%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$4.51 EC$12.19

-15.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$11.29 EC$30.47

0.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$9.08 EC$24.51

-25.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$14.92 EC$40.29

-1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$8.61 EC$23.25

-78.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.62 EC$4.38

24.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$8.09 EC$21.84

-70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$14.83 EC$40.04

-74.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$3.50 EC$9.44

-72.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.06 EC$5.56

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$2.20 EC$5.94

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.28 EC$3.46

-48.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$9.35 EC$25.25

-14.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$10.95 EC$29.57

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$2.31 EC$6.23

-43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$5.70 EC$15.38

-63.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.08 EC$2.91

38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$9.49 EC$25.63

-65.23%

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

$1.52 EC$4.11

19.08%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$26.3K EC$70.9K

11.63%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$36.5K EC$98.6K

-6.56%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$124 EC$334

37.30%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$89.6 EC$242

-73.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$47.85 EC$129

-51.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$42.35 EC$114

56.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$5.68 EC$15.33

67.61%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$211 EC$570

154.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$83.9 EC$226

20.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$50.2 EC$135

-14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$111 EC$299

1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$111 EC$299

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$450 EC$1,216

78.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$340 EC$918

85.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,184 EC$3,195

30.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$708 EC$1,912

64.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$101 EC$273

5448.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$63.4 EC$171

6157.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,122 EC$3,028

44.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.75

-17.03%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Castries: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Castries

$340 23.7% 46% $289

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Castries

$431 30% 67.1% $173

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Castries

$177 12.4% 20.9% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Castries

$261 18.2% 20.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Castries

$160 11.1% 5.4% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Castries

$54 3.7% 37% $32

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Castries

$14 * 1% 68.2% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $450 in Castries. 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 45% 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 $74.0 in Castries. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $431 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇱🇨 Castries

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

06:04 6:04 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

22,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Castries 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Castries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 15%, 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 $2,119 in Castries. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $74.0 in Castries. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 67% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castries, where all-in costs run around $1,413, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Castries it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Castries – 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 Castries. 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.