Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ecatepec

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $961 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ecatepec

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $961 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Ecatepec $961

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,670 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Ecatepec $1,670

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,380 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Ecatepec $2,380

Budapest costs about 69% more than Ecatepec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.14 MX$206

25.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$50.1 MX$926

22.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$9.57 MX$177

6.48%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.71 MX$68.6

-12.13%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.62 MX$30.02

32.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.09 MX$20.09

63.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.38 MX$62.5

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$5.59 MX$103

-32.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.72 MX$31.71

-33.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.66 MX$49.12

-32.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.96 MX$36.17

27.04%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.75 MX$50.9

41.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.82 MX$163

25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$9.12 MX$168

-27.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.47 MX$249

9.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.14 MX$58.0

-41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.66 MX$30.74

23.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.04 MX$37.65

16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.90 MX$35.12

105.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.79 MX$33.16

-44.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.75 MX$32.42

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.49 MX$27.48

6.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.19 MX$21.95

-43.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.59 MX$84.9

73.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$16.62 MX$307

-62.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.92 MX$35.43

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.83 MX$70.7

-47.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.63 MX$11.72

141.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$31.01 MX$573

-9.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.99 MX$36.81

66.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.52 MX$9.68

163.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.32 MX$98.3

272.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.54 MX$28.48

18.18%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.5K MX$397.7K

38.46%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$23.5K MX$434.5K

43.81%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$57.7 MX$1,067

196.41%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$27.01 MX$499

-12.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$24.74 MX$457

-5.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$26.37 MX$487

156.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$11.00 MX$203

71.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.47 MX$120

43.74%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$270 MX$4,996

97.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,048 MX$93.3K

231.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$59.1 MX$1,092

68.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$44.94 MX$830

-3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$100 MX$1,855

9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$98.8 MX$1,826

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$243 MX$4,487

242.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$138 MX$2,550

350.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$683 MX$12.6K

133.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$444 MX$8,205

163.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$755 MX$14.0K

672.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$755 MX$13.9K

415.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$553 MX$10.2K

198.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.3

-42.92%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Ecatepec

$138 14.4% 77.8% $484

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Ecatepec

$298 31% 15.5% $40

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Ecatepec

$201 21% 9.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Ecatepec

$109 11.4% 49.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Ecatepec

$136 14.2% 18.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Ecatepec

$39 4.1% 54.4% $47

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Ecatepec

$38 4% 13.7% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $243 in Ecatepec. 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 198% 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 $50.0 in Ecatepec. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $298 in Ecatepec – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

07:05 7:05 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,645,352

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Ecatepec 10,340 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Ecatepec

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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,441 in Ecatepec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 11% less in Ecatepec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $270 in Ecatepec. 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 Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ecatepec – 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 Ecatepec. 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.