Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Hereford

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,156 in Hereford, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Hereford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,156
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Hereford

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $2,156 in Hereford, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Hereford $2,156

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $3,164 in Hereford, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Hereford $3,164

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $4,172 in Hereford, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Hereford $4,172

Budapest is about 25% cheaper than Hereford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Hereford sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Hereford by 60%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$20.02 £15.02
-30.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$101 £75.6
-39.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$9.57 £7.18
6.48%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$4.33 £3.25
-24.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$2.24 £1.68
-4.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$1.88 £1.41
-5.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$5.87 £4.40
-36.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$6.63 £4.97
-43.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.26 £0.94
-8.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.53 £1.15
16.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$3.51 £2.63
-29.06%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$4.04 £3.03
-3.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$18.76 £14.07
-40.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$8.89 £6.67
-25.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$13.93 £10.45
5.46%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$2.00 £1.50
-8.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.21 £0.91
69.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$1.75 £1.31
35.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$4.72 £3.54
-17.37%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.94 £0.70
5.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$1.33 £1.00
-24.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.08 £0.81
46.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.01 £0.75
-33.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$23.29 £17.47
-65.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$10.77 £8.08
-42.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$3.90 £2.93
-67.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$3.95 £2.96
-48.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$3.71 £2.78
-59.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$6.26 £4.69
-47.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$2.68 £2.01
-48.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$20.02 £15.02
-0.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.95 £1.46
-6.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$38.6K £28.9K
-22.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$39.9K £30.0K
-15.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$334 £250
-48.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$27.62 £20.72
-14.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$39.37 £29.53
-40.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$55.7 £41.81
21.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$18.47 £13.86
-49.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$1,554 £1,166
-65.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$24.1K £18.1K
-30.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$87.3 £65.5
14.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$39.68 £29.77
9.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$78.1 £58.6
41.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$82.7 £62.0
43.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$939 £704
-11.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$880 £660
-29.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$1,575 £1,181
1.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$1,356 £1,017
-13.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Hereford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$2,729 £2,048
-39.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
6.13
5.22%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hereford: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Hereford
$880 41.5% $258
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Hereford
$319 23.7% $61
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Hereford
$300 34.5% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Hereford
$401 83.9% $183
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Hereford
$129 22.7% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Hereford
$93 7.6% $6.5
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Hereford
$35 * 22% $9.7

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 $939 in Hereford. 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 65% higher in Hereford, 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 $101 in Hereford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $319 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇬🇧 Hereford
🕒 Local time
22:18 10:18 PM
21:18 9:18 PM
1 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
58,896
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Hereford 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Hereford

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 Hereford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hereford cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Hereford is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $3,235 in Hereford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Hereford?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $101 in Hereford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Hereford?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Hereford, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Hereford?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Hereford at $2,156. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hereford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Hereford more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Hereford?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hereford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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