Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ha'il

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha'il: $1,040 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Ha'il
Learn more

Ha'il Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Ha'il

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ha'il

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,040 in Ha'il, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Ha'il $1,040

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,589 in Ha'il, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Ha'il $1,589

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,139 in Ha'il, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Ha'il $2,139

Budapest costs about 56% more than Ha'il, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Ha'il is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.47 SAR 20.52

154.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$37.36 SAR 140

63.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.88 SAR 22.05

73.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SAR 8.73

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.60 SAR 9.76

25.38%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.61 SAR 2.29

250.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.24 SAR 0.90

641.67%

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

$1.72 SAR 6.47

-33.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.84 SAR 3.17

113.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.83 SAR 6.87

36.07%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.88 SAR 7.05

107.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.81 SAR 25.56

63.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$8.52 SAR 31.96

-22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.55 SAR 32.10

71.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.57 SAR 5.88

16.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.58 SAR 5.91

29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.31 SAR 4.90

80.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.03 SAR 7.61

92.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.32 SAR 4.95

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.62 SAR 6.06

-38.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.23 SAR 4.60

28.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.49 SAR 1.83

36.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.02 SAR 11.35

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.73 SAR 25.25

18.28%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.93

44.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$36.18 SAR 136

-22.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.68 SAR 10.07

23.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.88 SAR 7.06

-27.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$13.58 SAR 50.9

46.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.61 SAR 2.27

198.36%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$44.7K SAR 167.8K

-33.38%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

56.63%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$52.7 SAR 198

225.01%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$21.32 SAR 80.0

10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$47.59 SAR 179

-51.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$67.4 SAR 253

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$26.99 SAR 101

-30.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$14.85 SAR 55.7

-37.37%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$414 SAR 1,554

28.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,887 SAR 29.6K

112.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$43.06 SAR 162

131.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$54.6 SAR 205

-20.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$96.6 SAR 363

14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$87.9 SAR 330

35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$245 SAR 918

239.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$366 SAR 1,373

69.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$362 SAR 1,359

339.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$566 SAR 2,123

106.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,369 SAR 8,890

146.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,359 SAR 5,099

186.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,087 SAR 4,080

51.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.54

16.43%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Ha'il

$366 35.2% 41.2% $256

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Ha'il

$180 17.3% 30.3% $78

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Ha'il

$96 9.2% 57% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Ha'il

$122 11.7% 44.2% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Ha'il

$127 12.2% 24.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Ha'il

$97 9.3% 12.7% $11

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Ha'il

$52 5.1% 18.6% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $245 in Ha'il. 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 52% 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 $37.00 in Ha'il. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $180 – making Ha'il the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇦 Ha'il

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

21:38 9:38 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

310,897

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Ha'il 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Ha'il

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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 56%, 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 $1,560 in Ha'il. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 29% less in Ha'il. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $414 in Ha'il. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ha'il, where all-in costs run around $1,040, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Ha'il it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ha'il – 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 Ha'il. 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.