Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Duhok

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $602 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
Learn more

Duhok Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Duhok

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $602 in Duhok, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Duhok $602

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $968 in Duhok, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Duhok $968

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,334 in Duhok, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Duhok $1,334

Budapest costs about 169% more than Duhok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.35 IQD 5,069

316.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$16.55 IQD 25.0K

269.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

44.74%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.32 IQD 3,511

40.52%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.34 IQD 517

529.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.15 IQD 229

1086.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.61 IQD 2,430

130.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.94 IQD 2,930

94.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.11 IQD 1,680

3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.67 IQD 1,017

167.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.50 IQD 2,262

66.00%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.58 IQD 2,385

146.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$5.03 IQD 7,594

120.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.95 IQD 4,460

124.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

35.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$0.96 IQD 1,453

90.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.00 IQD 1,506

105.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$0.73 IQD 1,109

224.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.68 IQD 1,028

473.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.59 IQD 894

67.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.63 IQD 948

58.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.61 IQD 926

159.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.48 IQD 719

39.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$1.74 IQD 2,630

357.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$10.58 IQD 16.0K

-41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.46 IQD 2,200

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.82 IQD 2,749

11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.32 IQD 486

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$15.69 IQD 23.7K

78.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.69 IQD 2,555

95.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.28 IQD 1,930

7.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.62 IQD 8,491

252.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.59 IQD 884

208.47%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

80.59%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

99.04%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$85.5 IQD 129.1K

100.21%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$8.81 IQD 13.3K

166.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$24.12 IQD 36.4K

-3.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$49.83 IQD 75.3K

35.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$26.66 IQD 40.3K

-29.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.55 IQD 11.4K

23.18%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$108 IQD 163.9K

391.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,793 IQD 4.2M

499.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$10.25 IQD 15.5K

871.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$19.62 IQD 29.6K

121.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$29.73 IQD 44.9K

271.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$19.93 IQD 30.1K

496.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$161 IQD 243.5K

415.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$115 IQD 174.0K

440.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$329 IQD 497.2K

384.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$318 IQD 480.4K

268.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$430 IQD 649.7K

1256.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$362 IQD 547.5K

973.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$421 IQD 635.5K

292.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.53

154.94%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Duhok: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Duhok

$115 19.1% 81.5% $507

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Duhok

$153 25.4% 40.7% $105

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Duhok

$90 14.9% 59.8% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Duhok

$118 19.7% 45.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Duhok

$36 6% 78.6% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Duhok

$65 10.8% 24.6% $21

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Duhok

$25 4.2% 43.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $161 in Duhok. 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 293% 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 $17.00 in Duhok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $153 – making Duhok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇶 Duhok

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

21:38 9:38 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

340,900

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Duhok 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 169%, 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 $903 in Duhok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 79% less in Duhok. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $108 in Duhok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Duhok, where all-in costs run around $602, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Duhok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Duhok – 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 Duhok. 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.