Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Erdenet

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $377 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Erdenet
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Erdenet Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Erdenet

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $377 in Erdenet, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Erdenet $377

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $617 in Erdenet, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Erdenet $617

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $858 in Erdenet, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Erdenet $858

Budapest costs about 330% more than Erdenet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Erdenet is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

242.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$27.28 MNT 98.0K

121.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

144.12%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.29 MNT 8,214

47.60%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.66 MNT 2,373

222.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.40 MNT 1,454

367.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.70 MNT 6,100

120.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.63 MNT 5,840

119.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.01 MNT 3,627

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.91 MNT 3,281

102.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.85 MNT 10.3K

-16.14%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.02 MNT 7,270

89.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$7.05 MNT 25.3K

60.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$6.78 MNT 24.4K

-0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$4.54 MNT 16.3K

223.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.24 MNT 8,038

-17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.68 MNT 6,054

19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.63 MNT 5,857

44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.37 MNT 4,925

175.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.43 MNT 5,136

-32.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.85 MNT 3,040

21.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.41 MNT 5,071

10.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.98 MNT 3,539

-32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

181.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$5.67 MNT 20.4K

6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.62 MNT 5,830

-19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.65 MNT 5,938

26.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.15 MNT 549

900.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$19.59 MNT 70.4K

40.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.61 MNT 2,209

440.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.43 MNT 1,546

202.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.75 MNT 2,689

141.33%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$57.7 MNT 207.4K

194.37%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$2.86 MNT 10.3K

738.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$14.06 MNT 50.5K

66.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$281 MNT 1.0M

91.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$2,474 MNT 8.9M

571.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$218 MNT 782.9K

646.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Erdenet

$188 50.3% 26.9% $69

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Erdenet

$88 23.6% 60.6% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Erdenet

$75 20% 65.7% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Erdenet

$23 6.1% 47.1% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 646% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $27.00 in Erdenet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $188 – making Erdenet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

86,866

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,026 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Erdenet 5,950 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Erdenet

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 Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 330%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $565 in Erdenet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Erdenet. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $281 in Erdenet. 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 Erdenet, where all-in costs run around $377, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Erdenet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erdenet – 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 Erdenet. 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.