Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Gyeonggi

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeonggi: $1,072 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
Learn more

Gyeonggi Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Gyeonggi

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,072 in Gyeonggi, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Gyeonggi $1,072

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,079 in Gyeonggi, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Gyeonggi $2,079

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $3,085 in Gyeonggi, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Gyeonggi $3,085

Budapest costs about 51% more than Gyeonggi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Gyeonggi is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$7.53 ₩10.0K

85.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$60.6 ₩80.6K

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.00 ₩7,975

69.83%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.90 ₩5,180

-16.41%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.22 ₩1,625

75.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.68 ₩903

161.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.47 ₩4,610

6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.93 ₩3,890

28.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.76 ₩2,334

-34.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$11.17 ₩14.9K

-83.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$3.82 ₩5,084

-46.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$7.70 ₩10.2K

-69.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

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

$3.07 ₩4,087

7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.58 ₩775

136.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.46 ₩1,945

24.66%

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

$186 ₩247.8K

-8.18%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$40.40 ₩53.7K

-41.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$21.83 ₩29.0K

6.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$56.3 ₩74.9K

19.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$10.32 ₩13.7K

-9.88%

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

$58.9 ₩78.4K

69.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$42.06 ₩55.9K

3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$86.3 ₩114.8K

27.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$532 ₩707.0K

56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$373 ₩496.5K

66.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$2,102 ₩2.8M

-24.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,503 ₩2.0M

-22.12%

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

$2,244 ₩3.0M

-26.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.5

84.29%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8% 40% $249

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9% 50.7% $131

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5% 30.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2% 14.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9% 49.7% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2% 10.6% $9.2

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6% 86.5% $38

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 $532 in Gyeonggi. 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 36% higher in Gyeonggi, 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 $61.0 in Gyeonggi. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $127 in Gyeonggi – so Gyeonggi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

04:03 4:03 AM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,234,582

💱 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 →

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Budapest Gyeonggi 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,608 in Gyeonggi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 103% 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 $61.0 in Gyeonggi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gyeonggi, where all-in costs run around $1,072, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Gyeonggi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gyeonggi – 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 Gyeonggi. 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.