Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Hiroshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $963 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
Learn more

Hiroshima Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Hiroshima

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $963 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Hiroshima $963

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,548 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Hiroshima $1,548

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,134 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Hiroshima $2,134

Budapest costs about 68% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.86 ¥926

137.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$31.49 ¥4,975

94.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.11 ¥807

99.41%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.75 ¥434

18.55%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.96 ¥151

122.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.64 ¥101

178.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.69 ¥425

37.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.88 ¥613

-2.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.45 ¥228

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.55 ¥245

15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$4.80 ¥759

-48.12%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.06 ¥326

89.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$4.89 ¥773

126.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.89 ¥931

12.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$11.07 ¥1,749

32.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.29 ¥520

-44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.94 ¥307

5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$3.80 ¥600

-37.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.88 ¥613

0.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.54 ¥244

-35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$3.43 ¥542

-70.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.36 ¥215

16.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.81 ¥129

-17.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.96 ¥626

101.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.84 ¥1,239

-20.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.94 ¥307

-34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.48 ¥391

-18.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.92 ¥304

-20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$33.30 ¥5,261

-15.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.74 ¥591

-11.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.25 ¥197

9.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$21.23 ¥3,354

-6.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.11 ¥175

63.96%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

36.07%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$14.7K ¥2.3M

130.23%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$136 ¥21.5K

25.56%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$24.40 ¥3,855

-3.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$30.36 ¥4,796

-23.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$53.9 ¥8,511

25.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$4.87 ¥769

287.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.80 ¥1,865

-21.19%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$155 ¥24.4K

245.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$3,376 ¥533.4K

396.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$27.92 ¥4,410

256.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$25.33 ¥4,001

71.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$47.84 ¥7,558

130.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$62.5 ¥9,878

90.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$239 ¥37.8K

247.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$192 ¥30.4K

223.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$618 ¥97.7K

157.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$501 ¥79.1K

133.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,001 ¥474.2K

94.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,413 ¥223.2K

175.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$2,006 ¥316.9K

-17.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.21

191.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Hiroshima

$192 20% 69.1% $430

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Hiroshima

$255 26.4% 1.3% $3.4

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Hiroshima

$123 12.8% 44.9% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Hiroshima

$191 19.9% 12.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Hiroshima

$74 7.7% 56.1% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Hiroshima

$77 8.1% 10% $8.6

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Hiroshima

$51 5.3% 15.2% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $239 in Hiroshima. 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 21% higher in Hiroshima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $31.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $255 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

00:01 12:01 AM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,200,754

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Hiroshima 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,444 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 19% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $155 in Hiroshima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $963, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hiroshima – 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 Hiroshima. 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.