Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $145 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

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El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $145 in El Progreso, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
El Progreso $145

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $285 in El Progreso, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
El Progreso $285

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $426 in El Progreso, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
El Progreso $426

Budapest costs about 1032% more than El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while El Progreso is 89% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$4.87 HNL 131

188.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$24.69 HNL 663

146.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$7.92 HNL 213

30.93%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$1.51 HNL 40.58

129.14%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.83 HNL 22.18

149.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.97 HNL 26.17

82.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$1.53 HNL 41.02

141.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$2.03 HNL 54.6

87.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.27 HNL 34.19

-8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.08 HNL 28.94

122.22%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$1.62 HNL 43.48

146.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.48 HNL 39.74

44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.63 HNL 43.87

-39.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$2.66 HNL 71.4

201.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.35 HNL 36.22

-8.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.37 HNL 36.92

50.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $25.00 in El Progreso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $45.00 – making El Progreso the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

15:56 3:56 PM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

100,810

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.2 HNL (100 HNL = 3.31 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest El Progreso 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Budapest vs El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 1032%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $217 in El Progreso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 480% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $25.00 in El Progreso. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in El Progreso, where all-in costs run around $145, than in Budapest at $1,641. In El Progreso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Progreso – 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 Progreso. 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.