Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cuernavaca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,011 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
Learn more

Cuernavaca Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cuernavaca

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,011 in Cuernavaca, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Cuernavaca $1,011

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,692 in Cuernavaca, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Cuernavaca $1,692

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,373 in Cuernavaca, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Cuernavaca $2,373

Budapest costs about 60% more than Cuernavaca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Cuernavaca is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.05 MX$149

73.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$38.27 MX$707

59.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.24 MX$134

40.75%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.43 MX$44.98

34.16%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.27 MX$23.43

68.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.63 MX$11.60

182.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.50 MX$46.29

48.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.26 MX$60.3

15.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.70 MX$31.33

-32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.21 MX$40.92

-19.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.44 MX$26.52

72.92%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.92 MX$35.49

103.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.08 MX$149

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.89 MX$90.4

35.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.78 MX$255

6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.23 MX$41.24

-17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.35 MX$25.02

51.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.17 MX$40.07

9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.67 MX$30.92

133.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.71 MX$31.62

-42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.74 MX$32.06

-42.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.53 MX$28.25

3.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.91 MX$16.78

-26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.39 MX$81.2

81.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.15 MX$151

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.22 MX$22.55

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.32 MX$61.4

-38.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.57 MX$10.51

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$27.69 MX$512

1.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.90 MX$35.20

74.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$2.63 MX$48.52

-47.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$10.93 MX$202

81.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.42 MX$26.26

28.17%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.0K MX$387.9K

41.96%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.1K MX$444.6K

40.52%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$57.3 MX$1,059

198.74%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$18.78 MX$347

25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$25.19 MX$465

-7.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$25.75 MX$476

162.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.44 MX$100

70.96%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$217 MX$4,018

145.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,075 MX$93.8K

230.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$41.29 MX$763

141.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$33.18 MX$613

31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$93.0 MX$1,719

18.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$99.1 MX$1,832

20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$385 MX$7,110

115.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$332 MX$6,140

87.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$957 MX$17.7K

66.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$804 MX$14.9K

45.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$870 MX$16.1K

570.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$606 MX$11.2K

541.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$649 MX$12.0K

154.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.4

-43.42%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Cuernavaca

$332 32.9% 46.6% $290

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Cuernavaca

$234 23.1% 9.5% $24

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Cuernavaca

$142 14.1% 36.3% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Cuernavaca

$101 10% 53.5% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Cuernavaca

$120 11.9% 28.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Cuernavaca

$37 3.6% 57.5% $50

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Cuernavaca

$45 4.5% 1.7% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $385 in Cuernavaca. 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 154% 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 $38.00 in Cuernavaca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $234 – making Cuernavaca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

05:45 5:45 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

341,029

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Cuernavaca 10,410 km ≈ 14 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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,516 in Cuernavaca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1% less in Cuernavaca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $217 in Cuernavaca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuernavaca, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Cuernavaca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuernavaca – 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 Cuernavaca. 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.