Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and El Jadida

For one person, living is cheaper in El Jadida: $621 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
El Jadida
🇲🇦 Morocco
$621
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in El Jadida

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $621 in El Jadida, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • El Jadida $621

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $935 in El Jadida, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • El Jadida $935

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,250 in El Jadida, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • El Jadida $1,250

Budapest costs about 161% more than El Jadida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while El Jadida is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$2.83 MAD 27.58
392.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$20.87 MAD 203
193.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$6.08 MAD 59.3
67.60%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$1.52 MAD 14.80
114.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$0.42 MAD 4.13
409.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.28 MAD 2.72
535.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$2.65 MAD 25.80
40.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$2.60 MAD 25.32
45.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$0.93 MAD 9.04
23.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$0.38 MAD 3.67
371.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.98 MAD 19.33
25.76%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$1.84 MAD 17.94
111.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$6.33 MAD 61.7
75.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$3.89 MAD 37.95
70.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$7.61 MAD 74.2
93.04%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$1.57 MAD 15.34
16.56%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.41 MAD 13.70
45.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$0.65 MAD 6.31
264.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$0.70 MAD 6.80
457.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.72 MAD 7.06
37.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$0.51 MAD 4.97
96.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$0.30 MAD 2.90
426.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.52 MAD 5.09
28.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$3.96 MAD 38.64
101.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$4.18 MAD 40.77
48.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$2.51 MAD 24.46
-49.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.95 MAD 28.78
-31.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.48 MAD 4.68
216.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$16.82 MAD 164
66.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$1.02 MAD 9.94
224.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$1.01 MAD 9.80
35.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$5.26 MAD 51.3
277.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.47 MAD 14.33
23.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$34.4K MAD 335.2K
-13.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$31.0K MAD 302.3K
9.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$29.18 MAD 285
486.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$10.38 MAD 101
126.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$30.70 MAD 299
-24.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$28.75 MAD 280
134.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$11.84 MAD 115
59.54%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$6.34 MAD 61.8
46.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$114 MAD 1,112
367.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$3,165 MAD 30.9K
429.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$27.58 MAD 269
261.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$36.84 MAD 359
18.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$65.3 MAD 637
69.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$69.5 MAD 677
71.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$210 MAD 2,050
295.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$165 MAD 1,606
277.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$359 MAD 3,498
344.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$229 MAD 2,230
411.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$1,533 MAD 14.9K
280.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$782 MAD 7,628
397.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
El Jadida
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$470 MAD 4,581
251.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
5.5
17.27%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
El Jadida
$165 73.5% $457
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
El Jadida
$149 42.1% $109
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
El Jadida
$80 64% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
El Jadida
$70 67.8% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
El Jadida
$90 46.5% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
El Jadida
$41 51.9% $45
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
El Jadida
$25 44% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $210 in El Jadida. 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 251% 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 $21.00 in El Jadida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $149 – making El Jadida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇲🇦 El Jadida
🕒 Local time
18:25 6:25 PM
17:25 5:25 PM
1 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
237,464
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest El Jadida 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • El Jadida

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 El Jadida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Jadida cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 161%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $931 in El Jadida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in El Jadida, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 67% less in El Jadida. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $114 in El Jadida. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in El Jadida?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in El Jadida, where all-in costs run around $621, than in Budapest at $1,619. In El Jadida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or El Jadida more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward El Jadida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or El Jadida?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with El Jadida. 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.

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