Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Hama

For one person, living is cheaper in Hama: $557 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Hama
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Hama Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Hama

🇸🇾 Syria

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Hama

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $557 in Hama, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Hama $557

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $868 in Hama, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Hama $868

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,180 in Hama, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Hama $1,180

Budapest costs about 195% more than Hama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Hama is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$7.62 SYP 926

84.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$30.44 SYP 3,699

100.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$2.70 SYP 329

284.07%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$1.16 SYP 141

198.28%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.26 SYP 275

-8.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.87 SYP 106

103.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$1.95 SYP 237

89.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$1.79 SYP 218

112.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.06 SYP 129

9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$0.42 SYP 50.8

340.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.57 SYP 191

52.87%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$1.64 SYP 199

143.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$3.84 SYP 467

196.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$5.57 SYP 677

23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$13.90 SYP 1,689

4.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.08 SYP 131

74.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.42 SYP 173

50.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.11 SYP 135

107.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.05 SYP 128

284.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.74 SYP 89.5

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.79 SYP 96.3

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.40 SYP 48.65

295.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.61 SYP 74.6

14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$2.74 SYP 333

193.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$6.14 SYP 746

0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.10 SYP 134

12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$2.91 SYP 353

-29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.20 SYP 23.72

695.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.02 SYP 123

236.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.49 SYP 181

-10.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$7.89 SYP 959

159.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$3.60 SYP 437

-46.39%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

94.67%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

78.51%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$143 SYP 17.3K

22.32%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$9.32 SYP 1,132

153.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$23.15 SYP 2,814

1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$5.39 SYP 655

91.28%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$67.9 SYP 8,249

688.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$1,747 SYP 212.2K

864.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$28.42 SYP 3,454

251.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$39.97 SYP 4,857

8.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$59.9 SYP 7,277

86.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$58.8 SYP 7,143

102.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

14.25

-54.74%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Hama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Hama

$169 30.3% 35.6% $93

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Hama

$109 19.6% 51.9% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Hama

$175 31.5% 21% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Hama

$84 15.1% 50% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Hama

$11 * 1.9% 87.9% $79

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Hama

$9.2 * 1.7% 79% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $30.00 in Hama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $169 – making Hama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇾 Hama

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

19:02 7:02 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

312,994

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Hama 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Hama

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 Hama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 195%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $835 in Hama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $30.00 in Hama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hama, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Hama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hama – 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 Hama. 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.