Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
Learn more

Cusco Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cusco

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $688 in Cusco, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Cusco $688

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,096 in Cusco, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Cusco $1,096

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,505 in Cusco, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Cusco $1,505

Budapest costs about 136% more than Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Cusco is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$1.99 PEN 6.85

603.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$20.55 PEN 70.7

193.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$6.70 PEN 23.04

48.66%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$2.11 PEN 7.24

60.19%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$0.78 PEN 2.69

173.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.33 PEN 1.13

466.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$1.72 PEN 5.92

118.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$4.33 PEN 14.90

-17.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.24 PEN 4.27

-8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$2.32 PEN 7.97

-20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.29 PEN 4.43

85.27%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$3.63 PEN 12.48

5.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$4.69 PEN 16.14

141.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$4.43 PEN 15.24

52.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$7.37 PEN 25.35

99.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$2.55 PEN 8.78

-27.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$0.77 PEN 2.63

161.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.47 PEN 5.04

60.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$0.85 PEN 2.94

343.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$1.02 PEN 3.52

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$1.10 PEN 3.80

-6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.49 PEN 1.67

218.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.75 PEN 2.58

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$5.93 PEN 20.41

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$1.85 PEN 6.38

-29.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$4.12 PEN 14.16

-49.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.30 PEN 1.04

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$1.72 PEN 5.91

91.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.93 PEN 6.65

-32.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$2.82 PEN 9.69

601.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.57 PEN 5.42

15.29%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

17.87%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$29.31 PEN 101

479.80%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$14.31 PEN 49.22

67.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$44.13 PEN 152

-46.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$28.51 PEN 98.1

132.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$4.26 PEN 14.64

123.47%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$37.39 PEN 129

171.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$33.43 PEN 115

28.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$54.4 PEN 187

107.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$72.2 PEN 248

64.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$218 PEN 748

270.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$191 PEN 657

229.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$538 PEN 1,849

188.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$416 PEN 1,431

180.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

72.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,823 PEN 6,270

117.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$433 PEN 1,490

275.30%

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 Cusco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Cusco

$191 27.8% 69.7% $438

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Cusco

$187 27.2% 27.5% $71

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Cusco

$83 12.1% 63% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Cusco

$88 12.8% 59.6% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Cusco

$89 12.9% 47.5% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Cusco

$37 5.4% 56.6% $48

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Cusco

$13 * 1.8% 71% $31

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 $218 in Cusco. 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 275% 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 $21.00 in Cusco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $187 – making Cusco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

428,450

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Cusco 11,190 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Cusco

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 Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 136%, 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 $1,032 in Cusco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 38% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $21.00 in Cusco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cusco, where all-in costs run around $688, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Cusco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cusco – 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 Cusco. 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.