Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Garissa

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $1,619 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
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Garissa

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $381 in Garissa, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Garissa $381

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $667 in Garissa, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Garissa $667

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $952 in Garissa, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Garissa $952

Budapest costs about 325% more than Garissa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Garissa is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.79 KES 1,528

18.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$23.02 KES 2,984

165.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$7.73 KES 1,002

-57.83%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.88 KES 244

13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.13 KES 147

57.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.52 KES 66.9

121.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.59 KES 76.9

203.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.47 KES 191

69.39%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.92 KES 249

103.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.10 KES 791

8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$5.39 KES 698

172.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.78 KES 490

-51.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$3.11 KES 403

-34.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$4.69 KES 608

-49.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.79 KES 102

393.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.22 KES 158

-18.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.57 KES 204

-36.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.37 KES 307

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.56 KES 72.3

19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.71 KES 741

8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.67 KES 217

-23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.82 KES 496

-46.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$129 KES 16.8K

1177.27%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Garissa

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Garissa

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Garissa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Garissa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Garissa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Garissa

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Garissa

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1177% 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 $23.00 in Garissa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $182 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇪 Garissa

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

119,696

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, 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).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Garissa 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Garissa

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 Garissa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 325%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $572 in Garissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 42% 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 $23.00 in Garissa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Garissa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Garissa – 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 Garissa. 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.