Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Edessa

For one person, living is cheaper in Edessa: $1,457 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Edessa
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Edessa Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Edessa

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Edessa

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,457 in Edessa, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Edessa $1,457

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,146 in Edessa, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Edessa $2,146

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,834 in Edessa, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Edessa $2,834

Budapest costs about 13% more than Edessa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Budapest and Edessa sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Edessa by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,592

$17.04 €15.20

-17.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.9K

$53.5 €47.73

13.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,392

$9.95 €8.88

4.22%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,131

$3.33 €2.98

3.90%

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

$2.07 Ft 677

$1.87 €1.67

10.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 579

$0.54 €0.48

227.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,205

$3.87 €3.45

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,244

$4.47 €3.99

-14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 378

$1.58 €1.41

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 606

$1.24 €1.11

49.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 786

$1.91 €1.71

25.65%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,304

$4.46 €3.98

-10.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,729

$13.81 €12.32

-17.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,248

$8.35 €7.45

-17.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,740

$12.95 €11.56

11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 614

$2.14 €1.91

-12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 701

$1.99 €1.77

7.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 753

$1.75 €1.56

31.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,320

$2.27 €2.03

77.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 334

$1.17 €1.04

-12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 324

$1.21 €1.08

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 516

$0.93 €0.83

69.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 227

$0.80 €0.72

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,626

$5.66 €5.05

41.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 2,022

$7.45 €6.65

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 406

$1.71 €1.53

-27.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 674

$2.64 €2.36

-21.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 519

$1.36 €1.21

16.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 9,002

$44.83 €40.01

-38.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,123

$4.22 €3.77

-18.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 436

$1.09 €0.98

22.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,688

$17.00 €15.17

20.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 632

$2.21 €1.97

-12.67%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.5M

$27.5K €24.6K

5.82%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.4M

$29.1K €26.0K

19.38%

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

$175 Ft 57.1K

$260 €232

-32.77%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,725

$26.26 €23.44

-10.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,719

$35.31 €31.51

-33.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.5K

$48.90 €43.64

40.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,301

$27.83 €24.84

-30.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,374

$8.73 €7.79

18.10%

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

$535 Ft 175.1K

$435 €388

23.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$8,317 €7,423

102.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.7K

$90.7 €81.0

10.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.2K

$40.55 €36.19

6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.5K

$91.5 €81.7

22.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.9K

$123 €109

-2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 272.1K

$349 €312

138.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 205.8K

$346 €308

82.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 518.7K

$603 €538

163.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 391.4K

$468 €418

155.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.9M

$1,358 €1,212

321.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$2,006 €1,790

96.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 560.0K

$778 €694

120.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.47

44.30%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Edessa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Edessa

$346 23.7% 45.1% $284

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Edessa

$265 18.2% 1.1% $3

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Edessa

$244 16.8% 7.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Edessa

$321 22% 44.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Edessa

$155 10.7% 7.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Edessa

$66 4.6% 25.8% $23

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Edessa

$60 4.1% 36.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $349 in Edessa. 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 120% 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 $53.0 in Edessa. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $265 in Edessa – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇷 Edessa

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

18,253

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 327 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD). 1 EUR = 368 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Edessa 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Edessa

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 Edessa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $2,186 in Edessa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 63% less in Edessa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $435 in Edessa. 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 Edessa, where all-in costs run around $1,457, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Edessa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Edessa – 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 Edessa. 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.