Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Hanoi

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $805 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Hanoi

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $805 in Hanoi, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Hanoi $805

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,254 in Hanoi, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Hanoi $1,254

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,704 in Hanoi, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Hanoi $1,704

Budapest costs about 101% more than Hanoi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Hanoi is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$2.09 ₫54.0K

569.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$23.19 ₫600.5K

160.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$4.49 ₫116.3K

121.83%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$1.87 ₫48.3K

80.75%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$0.47 ₫12.3K

353.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.30 ₫7,658

523.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$1.10 ₫28.4K

240.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$1.94 ₫50.3K

84.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.48 ₫38.3K

-23.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$1.10 ₫28.4K

67.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$0.75 ₫19.4K

218.67%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$1.50 ₫38.9K

155.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$10.36 ₫268.1K

9.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$3.79 ₫98.2K

77.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$9.91 ₫256.4K

48.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$3.37 ₫87.2K

-45.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$1.03 ₫26.8K

95.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.31 ₫33.9K

80.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$1.14 ₫29.5K

230.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.99 ₫25.5K

-3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$1.08 ₫28.1K

-4.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.57 ₫14.8K

173.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.55 ₫14.1K

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$1.44 ₫37.2K

452.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$12.74 ₫329.9K

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$0.89 ₫23.1K

46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$1.72 ₫44.6K

20.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.39 ₫10.2K

284.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$9.43 ₫244.2K

192.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$0.74 ₫19.2K

345.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.61 ₫15.7K

113.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$2.29 ₫59.3K

763.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.90 ₫23.3K

101.11%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$31.2K ₫808.2M

-6.06%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$29.9K ₫772.9M

14.26%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$86.3 ₫2.2M

96.94%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$5.30 ₫137.3K

352.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$8.95 ₫231.7K

161.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$24.82 ₫642.6K

166.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$9.62 ₫249.1K

99.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$4.28 ₫110.7K

122.43%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$755 ₫19.6M

-28.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$27.7K ₫716.4M

-39.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$48.39 ₫1.3M

109.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$26.60 ₫688.6K

61.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$84.3 ₫2.2M

33.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$77.3 ₫2.0M

53.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$414 ₫10.7M

94.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$278 ₫7.2M

126.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$873 ₫22.6M

77.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$536 ₫13.9M

117.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$5,285 ₫136.8M

6.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,798 ₫72.4M

41.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$518 ₫13.4M

214.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.28

-22.34%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Hanoi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Hanoi

$278 35% 55.8% $351

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Hanoi

$196 24.7% 24% $62

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Hanoi

$65 8.2% 71% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Hanoi

$101 12.7% 53.7% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Hanoi

$106 13.4% 37.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Hanoi

$33 4.2% 60.9% $52

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Hanoi

$15 1.9% 66% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $414 in Hanoi. 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 214% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $23.00 in Hanoi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $196 – making Hanoi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

12:26 12:26 PM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

8,587,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,037 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Hanoi 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Hanoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,207 in Hanoi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 193% less in Hanoi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $755 in Hanoi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hanoi, where all-in costs run around $805, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Hanoi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hanoi – 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 Hanoi. 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.