Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Gizo
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$2,121
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Gizo

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $2,121 in Gizo, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,621
  • Gizo $2,121

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $3,041 in Gizo, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,555
  • Gizo $3,041

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,960 in Gizo, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,489
  • Gizo $3,960

Budapest is about 24% cheaper than Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Gizo sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Gizo by 58%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.99 Ft 4,551
$3.15 SBD 25.40
344.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
$56.5 SBD 456
6.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.96 Ft 3,241
$15.76 SBD 127
-36.80%
Cappuccino
$3.38 Ft 1,100
$2.76 SBD 22.25
22.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 Ft 692
$1.26 SBD 10.17
69.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 Ft 608
$1.25 SBD 10.10
49.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 Ft 1,221
$2.55 SBD 20.61
47.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 Ft 1,162
$2.53 SBD 20.43
41.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Ft 368
$3.29 SBD 26.57
-65.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 Ft 599
$1.32 SBD 10.65
39.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 Ft 777
$1.40 SBD 11.32
70.71%
Eggs
$3.83 Ft 1,245
$7.24 SBD 58.5
-47.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.33 Ft 3,686
$8.64 SBD 69.8
31.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.74 Ft 2,192
$6.33 SBD 51.1
6.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,780
$8.74 SBD 70.6
68.08%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 Ft 597
$6.88 SBD 55.5
-73.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 Ft 653
$6.01 SBD 48.50
-66.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 Ft 767
$6.33 SBD 51.2
-62.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.77 Ft 1,226
$3.04 SBD 24.56
24.01%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 Ft 313
$3.03 SBD 24.49
-68.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 Ft 334
$2.41 SBD 19.50
-57.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 Ft 509
$2.43 SBD 19.61
-35.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 Ft 216
$1.33 SBD 10.77
-50.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,591
$4.27 SBD 34.49
86.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 Ft 1,954
$12.57 SBD 102
-52.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 Ft 421
$1.89 SBD 15.24
-31.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 Ft 676
$2.19 SBD 17.67
-5.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 Ft 489
$0.39 SBD 3.12
284.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.61 Ft 8,982
$31.04 SBD 251
-11.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 Ft 1,074
$1.23 SBD 9.91
168.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 Ft 424
$2.45 SBD 19.76
-46.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.78 Ft 6,436
$12.41 SBD 100
59.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 Ft 591
$1.77 SBD 14.25
2.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
$20.6K SBD 166.3K
42.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
$21.5K SBD 173.4K
58.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 Ft 55.3K
$756 SBD 6,107
-77.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.98 Ft 7,802
$13.69 SBD 111
75.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.42 Ft 7,621
$125 SBD 1,008
-81.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
$18.41 SBD 149
259.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 Ft 6,239
$6.05 SBD 48.87
217.02%
Cinema Ticket
$9.52 Ft 3,098
$4.39 SBD 35.43
116.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 Ft 174.6K
$121 SBD 981
342.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
$1,253 SBD 10.1K
1224.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 Ft 33.0K
$24.88 SBD 201
307.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
$92.0 SBD 743
-53.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 Ft 36.7K
$100 SBD 809
12.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.6K
$90.5 SBD 731
31.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 Ft 262.0K
$608 SBD 4,908
32.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 204.7K
$594 SBD 4,799
5.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
$618 SBD 4,991
150.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
$1,234 SBD 9,964
-5.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
$86.8K SBD 700.6K
-93.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Gizo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
$395 SBD 3,192
311.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
16.33
-60.62%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Gizo
$594 5.6% $35
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Gizo
$354 37.4% $96
Eating Out
Budapest
$224
Gizo
$133 40.5% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$217
Gizo
$895 312% $678
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$169
Gizo
$138 18.2% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$85
Gizo
$27 68.1% $58
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Gizo
$46 6% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $608 in Gizo. 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 311% higher in Budapest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $56.0 in Gizo. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $354 in Gizo – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇸🇧 Gizo
🕒 Local time
06:55 6:55 AM
15:55 3:55 PM
9 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
7,177
Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Gizo 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Gizo

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 Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gizo cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Gizo is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $3,182 in Gizo. 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 Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $121 in Gizo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Gizo?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Gizo at $2,121. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gizo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Gizo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Gizo?
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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gizo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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