Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Herceg Novi Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Herceg Novi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,450 per month in Budapest vs $1,433 in Herceg Novi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,221 per month in Budapest vs $2,138 in Herceg Novi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,991 per month in Budapest vs $2,842 in Herceg Novi, rent included.

Budapest costs about 1% more than Herceg Novi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Budapest and Herceg Novi sit above the global median – Budapest by 8%, Herceg Novi by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 Ft 3,504

$11.79 €10.14

-2.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 Ft 17.3K

$37.10 €31.92

53.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 Ft 2,641

$10.30 €8.86

-15.92%

Cappuccino

$2.77 Ft 844

$2.63 €2.26

5.32%

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

$1.80 Ft 548

$2.83 €2.44

-36.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 Ft 407

$1.93 €1.66

-31.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 Ft 858

$2.95 €2.53

-4.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Ft 852

$2.95 €2.54

-5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 Ft 368

$1.41 €1.21

-14.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 Ft 529

$0.91 €0.79

91.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 636

$2.61 €2.24

-20.31%

Eggs

$3.10 Ft 947

$3.23 €2.78

-4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 Ft 3,034

$8.90 €7.66

11.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 Ft 1,930

$7.71 €6.64

-17.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 Ft 4,066

$11.74 €10.10

13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 Ft 565

$1.27 €1.09

45.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 582

$1.68 €1.45

13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 Ft 662

$1.64 €1.41

32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 Ft 1,119

$3.04 €2.62

20.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 Ft 344

$1.14 €0.98

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 371

$1.41 €1.21

-13.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 472

$1.52 €1.31

1.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 163

$0.76 €0.66

-30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 Ft 2,072

$3.85 €3.31

76.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 Ft 1,790

$4.57 €3.93

28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 371

$1.25 €1.08

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 Ft 527

$1.72 €1.48

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Ft 391

$1.19 €1.03

7.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.14 Ft 7,972

$58.2 €50.1

-55.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 Ft 994

$2.38 €2.04

36.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 Ft 344

$0.70 €0.60

61.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.23 Ft 5,865

$17.51 €15.06

9.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 Ft 533

$1.77 €1.53

-1.13%

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

$25.9K Ft 7.9M

$32.9K €28.3K

-21.34%

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

$30.8K Ft 9.4M

$22.3K €19.2K

37.90%

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

$145 Ft 44.3K

$138 €119

5.36%

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

$26.21 Ft 7,995

$16.74 €14.40

56.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.23 Ft 6,170

$31.48 €27.08

-35.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 Ft 18.9K

$58.5 €50.3

6.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.11 Ft 6,744

$11.53 €9.92

91.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 Ft 2,791

$7.94 €6.83

15.24%

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

$454 Ft 138.4K

$515 €443

-11.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K Ft 3.7M

$7,897 €6,793

53.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 Ft 25.8K

$85.6 €73.7

-1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 Ft 12.8K

$34.95 €30.07

19.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 Ft 29.2K

$76.1 €65.4

26.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 Ft 32.5K

$97.5 €83.9

9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 Ft 219.2K

$760 €653

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 Ft 168.6K

$550 €473

0.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 Ft 413.4K

$1,385 €1,192

-2.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 Ft 300.0K

$993 €854

-0.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,041 Ft 1.8M

$3,821 €3,287

58.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,470 Ft 1.4M

$2,603 €2,239

71.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,834 Ft 559.4K

$1,082 €931

69.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.03

40.60%

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

Last update for Budapest: June 1, 2026

Last update for Herceg Novi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Budapest versus $760 in Herceg Novi. 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 69% 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 $57.0 in Budapest versus $37.00 in Herceg Novi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $226 – making Herceg Novi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Herceg Novi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,175 per month in Budapest and $2,150 in Herceg Novi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 123% less in Herceg Novi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $454 per month in Budapest and $515 in Herceg Novi. 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 Herceg Novi, where all-in costs run around $1,433, than in Budapest at $1,450. In Herceg Novi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Herceg Novi – 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 Herceg Novi. 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.