Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Da Lat

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Lat: $611 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Da Lat
Learn more

Da Lat Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Da Lat

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Da Lat

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $611 in Da Lat, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Da Lat $611

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $914 in Da Lat, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Da Lat $914

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,218 in Da Lat, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Da Lat $1,218

Budapest costs about 165% more than Da Lat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Da Lat is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$2.20 ₫57.0K

533.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$15.43 ₫399.6K

296.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.21 ₫134.8K

95.59%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.61 ₫41.6K

102.48%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.59 ₫15.2K

262.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.31 ₫7,960

474.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$0.86 ₫22.2K

331.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.52 ₫39.4K

148.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.51 ₫39.1K

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.30 ₫33.8K

37.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.17 ₫30.2K

112.82%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.62 ₫42.1K

140.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.80 ₫202.0K

42.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.01 ₫103.9K

65.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$4.55 ₫117.8K

222.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$4.11 ₫106.4K

-55.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.83 ₫47.4K

12.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$3.21 ₫83.1K

-26.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.54 ₫40.0K

153.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.76 ₫45.5K

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.62 ₫42.1K

-38.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.75 ₫19.5K

110.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.52 ₫13.5K

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$1.68 ₫43.5K

373.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.71 ₫199.5K

-19.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.44 ₫11.4K

188.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.07 ₫53.5K

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.37 ₫9,514

310.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.60 ₫15.5K

451.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.12 ₫29.0K

22.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.85 ₫21.9K

114.12%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$39.69 ₫1.0M

331.14%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$4.27 ₫110.6K

450.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$14.92 ₫386.3K

56.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$12.46 ₫322.6K

441.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$1.99 ₫51.4K

367.34%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$281 ₫7.3M

195.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$276 ₫7.1M

125.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$621 ₫16.1M

156.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$465 ₫12.0M

151.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$436 ₫11.3M

278.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Da Lat: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Da Lat

$276 45.2% 55.6% $346

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Da Lat

$188 30.8% 27.1% $70

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Da Lat

$63 10.4% 71.6% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Da Lat

$59 9.6% 73% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Da Lat

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Da Lat

$16 2.7% 80.9% $70

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Da Lat

$7.7 * 1.3% 82.6% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $281 in Da Lat. 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 279% 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 $15.00 in Da Lat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $188 – making Da Lat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇻🇳 Da Lat

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

258,014

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Da Lat 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Da Lat

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 Da Lat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 165%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $916 in Da Lat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $61.0 in Budapest and $15.00 in Da Lat. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Da Lat, where all-in costs run around $611, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Da Lat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Da Lat – 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 Da Lat. 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.