Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Esztergom

For one person, living is cheaper in Esztergom: $1,293 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Esztergom
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Esztergom Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Esztergom

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,293

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Esztergom

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $1,293 in Esztergom, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Esztergom $1,293

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $1,975 in Esztergom, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Esztergom $1,975

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $2,657 in Esztergom, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Esztergom $2,657

Budapest costs about 27% more than Esztergom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Esztergom is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,430

$12.34 Ft 4,009

10.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.7K

$52.1 Ft 16.9K

16.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,256

$9.31 Ft 3,025

7.63%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,081

$2.54 Ft 825

31.10%

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

$2.12 Ft 688

$1.88 Ft 612

12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 584

$1.19 Ft 388

51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,172

$2.99 Ft 973

20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,166

$2.74 Ft 889

31.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 363

$1.21 Ft 392

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 626

$1.44 Ft 467

34.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 808

$2.42 Ft 785

2.89%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,282

$3.07 Ft 999

28.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,665

$10.79 Ft 3,507

4.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,188

$6.08 Ft 1,977

10.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,694

$13.39 Ft 4,351

7.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 604

$2.35 Ft 762

-20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 662

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 743

$2.04 Ft 661

12.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,297

$3.88 Ft 1,260

2.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 306

$1.18 Ft 384

-20.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 332

$1.30 Ft 423

-21.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 537

$1.77 Ft 574

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 222

$0.49 Ft 159

38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,539

$7.55 Ft 2,453

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,956

$5.95 Ft 1,935

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 420

$1.26 Ft 409

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 658

$1.57 Ft 509

28.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 486

$1.24 Ft 403

20.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,814

$26.75 Ft 8,693

1.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,091

$2.99 Ft 970

12.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 447

$1.49 Ft 485

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,485

$18.48 Ft 6,006

8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 606

$1.88 Ft 612

-1.06%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.3M

$32.1K Ft 10.4M

-11.09%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$35.4K Ft 11.5M

-5.78%

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

$178 Ft 57.9K

$150 Ft 48.8K

18.72%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,662

$32.97 Ft 10.7K

-28.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,837

$26.93 Ft 8,752

-10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.6K

$49.74 Ft 16.2K

40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,533

$17.97 Ft 5,838

-5.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,406

$7.64 Ft 2,483

37.17%

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

$625 Ft 203.1K

$244 Ft 79.4K

155.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

$7,630 Ft 2.5M

157.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.2K

$86.6 Ft 28.1K

17.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.1K

$27.01 Ft 8,778

60.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$96.3 Ft 31.3K

14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.2K

$106 Ft 34.4K

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 274.7K

$528 Ft 171.6K

60.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 207.4K

$400 Ft 130.1K

59.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 522.8K

$744 Ft 241.8K

116.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 395.5K

$647 Ft 210.2K

88.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

$3,191 Ft 1.0M

74.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

$2,443 Ft 794.0K

59.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 560.4K

$1,158 Ft 376.4K

48.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

8.25

-23.15%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Esztergom: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Esztergom

$400 31% 37.3% $238

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Esztergom

$243 18.8% 6.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Esztergom

$210 16.2% 7% $16

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Esztergom

$190 14.7% 13.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Esztergom

$142 11% 16% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Esztergom

$65 5% 28.3% $26

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Esztergom

$42 3.3% 2.7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $528 in Esztergom. 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 49% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $52 in Esztergom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $243 – making Esztergom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Esztergom

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

28,642

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Budapest vs Esztergom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $1,939 in Esztergom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Esztergom, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $528 there versus $845 in Budapest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest and $52 in Esztergom. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,647 in Budapest and $1,293 in Esztergom. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Esztergom – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Esztergom. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.