Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and El Kef

For one person, living is cheaper in El Kef: $610 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
30

Cost of Living Index in El Kef
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El Kef Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

El Kef

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $610 in El Kef, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
El Kef $610

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $959 in El Kef, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
El Kef $959

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,308 in El Kef, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
El Kef $1,308

Budapest costs about 166% more than El Kef, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.34 TND 15.99

161.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$13.49 TND 40.39

353.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.55 TND 13.63

123.96%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$0.65 TND 1.94

401.54%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.52 TND 1.55

311.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.24 TND 0.72

641.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$0.88 TND 2.65

321.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$0.98 TND 2.92

284.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.46 TND 1.39

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.20 TND 0.60

795.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.78 TND 5.34

39.89%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.44 TND 4.30

170.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$15.02 TND 45.00

-26.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.41 TND 19.20

3.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$14.67 TND 43.94

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.59 TND 4.76

15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.69 TND 5.06

21.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.02 TND 3.06

132.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.57 TND 1.72

584.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.38 TND 1.14

160.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.19 TND 0.56

426.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.45 TND 1.36

251.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.29 TND 0.86

131.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.45 TND 10.32

130.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$4.33 TND 12.98

43.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.70 TND 2.11

81.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$0.93 TND 2.77

118.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.32 TND 0.95

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$9.99 TND 29.93

180.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.31 TND 0.94

967.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.29 TND 0.87

372.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.96 TND 11.87

400.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.83 TND 2.49

119.28%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$38.8K TND 116.3K

-23.25%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$36.7K TND 109.8K

-7.79%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$26.87 TND 80.5

536.84%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$10.57 TND 31.65

122.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$13.92 TND 41.70

67.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$27.30 TND 81.8

147.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$12.16 TND 36.42

55.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$3.36 TND 10.05

176.79%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$61.2 TND 183

771.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$1,972 TND 5,905

749.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$23.11 TND 69.2

331.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$68.0 TND 204

-36.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$39.88 TND 119

176.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$78.3 TND 234

52.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$208 TND 624

298.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$157 TND 470

296.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$365 TND 1,093

336.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$269 TND 804

335.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$939 TND 2,813

520.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$628 TND 1,880

519.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$168 TND 504

880.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-41.36%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for El Kef: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

El Kef

$157 25.7% 74.8% $465

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

El Kef

$187 30.6% 27.7% $71

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

El Kef

$74 12.1% 67% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

El Kef

$51 8.4% 76.4% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

El Kef

$94 15.5% 43.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

El Kef

$34 5.6% 60.5% $52

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

El Kef

$13 2.1% 70.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $208 in El Kef. 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 880% 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 $13.00 in El Kef. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $187 – making El Kef the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇳 El Kef

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

22:26 10:26 PM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

73,710

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest El Kef 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Budapest
El Kef

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 Kef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 166%, 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 $914 in El Kef. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 180% less in El Kef. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $61.2 in El Kef. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in El Kef, where all-in costs run around $610, than in Budapest at $1,619. In El Kef it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Kef – 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 El Kef. 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.