Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Gwangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,329 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
Learn more

Gwangju Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Gwangju

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,329 in Gwangju, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Gwangju $1,329

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,038 in Gwangju, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Gwangju $2,038

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,747 in Gwangju, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Gwangju $2,747

Budapest costs about 22% more than Gwangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Gwangju is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.98 ₩7,948

133.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$34.07 ₩45.3K

79.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.12 ₩8,131

66.50%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.25 ₩4,317

0.31%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.60 ₩2,127

33.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.63 ₩837

182.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.48 ₩3,297

49.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.52 ₩6,008

-16.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.71 ₩2,269

-32.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.37 ₩3,153

-24.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.26 ₩3,009

10.18%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.74 ₩3,639

42.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.85 ₩11.8K

25.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$7.97 ₩10.6K

-16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$11.26 ₩15.0K

30.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$5.15 ₩6,854

-64.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$3.04 ₩4,037

-32.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$3.76 ₩5,002

-36.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.04 ₩4,037

28.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$3.57 ₩4,747

-72.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.89 ₩2,515

-47.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.00 ₩2,663

-21.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.35 ₩1,791

-50.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.45 ₩4,584

130.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$11.10 ₩14.8K

-43.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.46 ₩1,935

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.27 ₩3,024

-10.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.06 ₩1,410

43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$68.2 ₩90.6K

-58.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.18 ₩4,223

4.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.62 ₩821

120.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$7.79 ₩10.4K

154.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.22 ₩1,616

49.18%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.0K ₩37.3M

6.30%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$35.3K ₩46.9M

-4.20%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$210 ₩279.5K

-18.61%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$43.76 ₩58.2K

-46.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$21.18 ₩28.2K

9.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$51.7 ₩68.7K

30.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$11.71 ₩15.6K

61.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.25 ₩15.0K

-17.33%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$300 ₩399.0K

77.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$17.9K ₩23.8M

-6.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$31.74 ₩42.2K

213.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$26.01 ₩34.6K

67.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$63.6 ₩84.5K

73.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$88.6 ₩117.8K

34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$495 ₩657.9K

67.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$363 ₩482.7K

71.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,164 ₩1.5M

36.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$747 ₩992.8K

56.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$7,812 ₩10.4M

-25.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$6,383 ₩8.5M

-39.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$2,883 ₩3.8M

-42.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.6

79.17%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Gwangju

$363 27.3% 41.6% $259

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Gwangju

$308 23.2% 19.4% $50

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Gwangju

$135 10.2% 39.2% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Gwangju

$275 20.7% 26.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Gwangju

$94 7.1% 43.6% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Gwangju

$74 5.6% 13.9% $12

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Gwangju

$79 5.9% 77.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $495 in Gwangju. 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 75% higher in Gwangju, 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $34.00 in Gwangju. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $308 in Gwangju – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,467,996

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Gwangju 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Gwangju

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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,993 in Gwangju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gwangju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 143% less in Gwangju. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $300 in Gwangju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gwangju, where all-in costs run around $1,329, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Gwangju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gwangju – 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 Gwangju. 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.