Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $172 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Derna

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $172 in Derna, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Derna $172

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $334 in Derna, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Derna $334

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $496 in Derna, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Derna $496

Budapest costs about 860% more than Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Derna is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,407

$3.80 LYD 24.29

258.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

$7.58 LYD 48.45

700.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,239

$3.06 LYD 19.58

227.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 LYD 4.11

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,075

$0.45 LYD 2.87

640.00%

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

$2.12 Ft 684

$0.32 LYD 2.06

562.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 581

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,166

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,160

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 361

$0.74 LYD 4.76

51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 623

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.29 LYD 14.61

8.73%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,275

$0.92 LYD 5.89

328.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,646

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,177

$3.04 LYD 19.43

121.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,670

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 601

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 658

$0.75 LYD 4.78

172.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 740

$0.91 LYD 5.84

151.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,290

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 304

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 330

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 534

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 221

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,526

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,946

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 418

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 655

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 484

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,085

$0.74 LYD 4.74

354.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,451

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 603

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

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

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

$178 Ft 57.6K

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

$23.58 Ft 7,623

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,797

$13.90 LYD 88.9

73.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,505

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,388

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

$625 Ft 202.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.0K

$31.70 LYD 203

221.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

$38.74 LYD 248

12.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.5K

$39.60 LYD 253

177.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.0K

$39.24 LYD 251

207.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 273.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

$154 LYD 987

942.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

$94.1 LYD 602

1193.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

$195 LYD 1,246

2751.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

$76.8 LYD 491

4978.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

$173 LYD 1,104

898.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Derna: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Budapest are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $8 in Derna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $44 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

20:49 8:49 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.19 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Derna 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Derna

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 860%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $257 in Derna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 496% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest and $8 in Derna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $172, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Derna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $172 in Derna to $1,647 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Derna. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.