Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cuiaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuiaba: $1,081 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Cuiaba
Learn more

Cuiaba Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Cuiaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cuiaba

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,081 in Cuiaba, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Cuiaba $1,081

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,618 in Cuiaba, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Cuiaba $1,618

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,155 in Cuiaba, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Cuiaba $2,155

Budapest costs about 50% more than Cuiaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Cuiaba is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$5.03 R$25.12

178.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$35.60 R$178

69.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.90 R$39.43

26.08%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$1.85 R$9.21

82.70%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.48 R$7.37

43.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.78 R$3.89

139.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.03 R$10.15

84.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$2.62 R$13.10

36.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.23 R$6.14

-8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.60 R$7.98

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.91 R$9.55

25.13%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.08 R$15.36

24.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$17.15 R$85.6

-33.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.82 R$24.04

39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$11.36 R$56.7

29.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.39 R$11.91

-23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.40 R$12.00

-16.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.50 R$12.49

-5.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$3.01 R$15.02

25.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.55 R$12.72

-62.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.11 R$10.51

-51.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.65 R$8.23

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.43 R$7.15

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.29 R$11.45

247.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$11.63 R$58.1

-48.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$2.07 R$10.31

-37.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$3.06 R$15.28

-32.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.02 R$5.11

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$38.30 R$191

-27.91%

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

$1.31 R$6.53

38.17%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$29.9K R$149.2K

-1.91%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$33.5K R$167.3K

1.76%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$178 R$888

-4.46%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$19.31 R$96.4

24.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$27.04 R$135

-13.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$26.15 R$131

153.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$19.84 R$99.0

-3.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.17 R$30.80

54.29%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$432 R$2,158

24.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$9,696 R$48.4K

71.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$76.8 R$383

31.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$49.06 R$245

-12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$155 R$775

-27.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$71.2 R$356

66.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$336 R$1,679

139.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$233 R$1,163

169.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$660 R$3,295

134.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$370 R$1,848

215.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,370 R$6,838

310.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$793 R$3,958

400.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$399 R$1,992

307.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

16.1

-60.06%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Cuiaba

$233 21.3% 63% $396

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Cuiaba

$285 26.1% 10.5% $27

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Cuiaba

$111 10.1% 50.7% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Cuiaba

$224 20.5% 3.2% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Cuiaba

$159 14.5% 6.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Cuiaba

$38 3.5% 54.9% $47

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Cuiaba

$42 * 3.9% 2.4% $1

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 $336 in Cuiaba. 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 307% 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 $36.00 in Cuiaba. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $285 in Cuiaba – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇷 Cuiaba

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

02:13 2:13 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

650,877

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, 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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Cuiaba 10,210 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Cuiaba

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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 50%, 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 $1,621 in Cuiaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 39% less in Cuiaba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $432 in Cuiaba. 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 Cuiaba, where all-in costs run around $1,081, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Cuiaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuiaba – 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 Cuiaba. 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.