Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and High Level

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,098 in High Level, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
108

Cost of Living Index in High Level
Learn more

High Level Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

High Level

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in High Level

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $2,098 in High Level, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
High Level $2,098

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $3,162 in High Level, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
High Level $3,162

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $4,226 in High Level, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
High Level $4,226

Budapest is about 23% cheaper than High Level, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and High Level sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, High Level by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$16.59 CA$23.45

-15.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$69.9 CA$98.8

-12.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$11.72 CA$16.58

-13.05%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.73 CA$5.27

-12.60%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.72 CA$2.43

24.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.51 CA$2.14

17.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$5.69 CA$8.04

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$5.90 CA$8.34

-36.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.99 CA$2.81

-42.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.65 CA$3.75

-32.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.77 CA$3.92

-10.11%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.76 CA$5.32

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$10.10 CA$14.28

9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$10.12 CA$14.31

-34.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$14.22 CA$20.10

3.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.91 CA$5.53

-53.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.25 CA$1.77

64.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$3.66 CA$5.18

-35.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.78 CA$5.35

3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.78 CA$3.93

-64.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.48 CA$3.51

-59.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.11 CA$2.99

-25.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.38 CA$1.95

-51.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$12.27 CA$17.35

-35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$11.99 CA$16.95

-48.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.73 CA$3.87

-53.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.73 CA$3.86

-25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$2.06 CA$2.91

-26.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$67.0 CA$94.7

-58.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.95 CA$4.18

12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.49 CA$2.11

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$22.92 CA$32.40

-13.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.11 CA$1.57

63.96%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$29.3K CA$41.4K

1.65%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$17.2K CA$24.3K

96.80%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$135 CA$191

26.77%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$38.65 CA$54.6

-39.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$54.0 CA$76.4

-56.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$40.78 CA$57.6

65.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$17.18 CA$24.29

9.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$10.86 CA$15.35

-14.36%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$772 CA$1,092

-30.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$11.4K CA$16.2K

46.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$44.96 CA$63.6

121.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$33.50 CA$47.36

29.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$74.8 CA$106

47.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$102 CA$145

16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$1,196 CA$1,690

-30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$1,003 CA$1,419

-38.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,712 CA$2,420

-6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,726 CA$2,440

-32.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$4,435 CA$6,270

31.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$4,083 CA$5,772

-4.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.66

38.41%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for High Level: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

High Level

$1K 47.8% 61.3% $381

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

High Level

$338 16.1% 31.1% $80

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

High Level

$266 12.7% 19.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

High Level

$228 10.9% 4.5% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

High Level

$115 5.5% 31.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

High Level

$62 3% 27.4% $24

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

High Level

$86 4.1% 93.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $1,196 in High Level. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $70.0 in High Level. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $338 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇦 High Level

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,200

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest High Level 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
High Level

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 High Level: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – High Level is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $3,147 in High Level. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 139% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $772 in High Level. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in High Level at $2,098. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in High Level it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, High Level makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.