Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Erzurum

For one person, living is cheaper in Erzurum: $963 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Erzurum
🇹🇷 Turkey
$963
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Erzurum

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $963 in Erzurum, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Erzurum $963

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,503 in Erzurum, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Erzurum $1,503

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,043 in Erzurum, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Erzurum $2,043

Budapest costs about 68% more than Erzurum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Erzurum is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$7.76 ₺384
79.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$28.95 ₺1,433
111.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$7.81 ₺387
30.47%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$3.47 ₺172
-6.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.44 ₺71.1
48.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.26 ₺12.89
584.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$2.95 ₺146
25.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$3.63 ₺180
3.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$0.89 ₺44.21
29.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.03 ₺51.1
73.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$2.03 ₺100
22.66%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$2.19 ₺108
78.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$7.87 ₺390
41.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$4.04 ₺200
63.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$20.75 ₺1,028
-29.20%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$1.74 ₺86.1
5.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.87 ₺92.5
9.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$1.00 ₺49.66
137.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$1.20 ₺59.2
225.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.46 ₺22.57
115.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$0.37 ₺18.40
170.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$0.73 ₺36.15
116.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.75 ₺37.31
-10.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$1.91 ₺94.8
316.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$8.70 ₺431
-28.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.92 ₺95.0
-33.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.74 ₺136
-25.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.61 ₺30.43
149.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$1.40 ₺69.1
136.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.93 ₺45.84
47.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$7.33 ₺363
170.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.49 ₺73.9
22.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$43.7K ₺2.2M
-31.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$36.7K ₺1.8M
-7.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$80.5 ₺3,987
112.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$9.85 ₺488
138.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$16.08 ₺796
44.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$54.4 ₺2,693
24.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$6.51 ₺322
42.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$694 ₺34.3K
-23.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$10.1K ₺501.4K
65.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$43.39 ₺2,148
129.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$39.06 ₺1,934
11.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$96.7 ₺4,786
14.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$68.0 ₺3,367
74.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$379 ₺18.8K
119.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$295 ₺14.6K
110.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$740 ₺36.6K
115.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$564 ₺27.9K
107.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$1,541 ₺76.3K
278.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$916 ₺45.4K
324.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Erzurum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$1,196 ₺59.2K
38.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
41.42
-84.43%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Erzurum: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Erzurum
$295 52.6% $327
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Erzurum
$219 15.2% $39
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Erzurum
$156 30.1% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Erzurum
$106 51.2% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Erzurum
$111 33.6% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Erzurum
$67 21.7% $19
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Erzurum
$8.5 * 80.8% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $379 in Erzurum. 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 38% 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 $29.00 in Erzurum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $219 – making Erzurum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇹🇷 Erzurum
🕒 Local time
07:05 7:05 AM
08:05 8:05 AM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
762,021
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Erzurum 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Erzurum

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 Erzurum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Erzurum cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 68%, 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 $1,445 in Erzurum. 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 Erzurum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Erzurum?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $29.00 in Erzurum. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Erzurum?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Erzurum?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Erzurum, where all-in costs run around $963, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Erzurum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Erzurum more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Erzurum – 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 Erzurum?
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 Erzurum. 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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