Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Iligan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Iligan City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$739
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Iligan City

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $739 in Iligan City, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Iligan City $739

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,126 in Iligan City, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Iligan City $1,126

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,514 in Iligan City, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Iligan City $1,514

Budapest costs about 119% more than Iligan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Iligan City is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$3.99 ₱251
249.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$17.85 ₱1,124
242.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$2.74 ₱172
271.90%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$2.26 ₱142
44.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$0.67 ₱42.01
219.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.34 ₱21.15
423.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$1.13 ₱71.1
228.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$1.90 ₱120
98.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$2.05 ₱129
-43.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.16 ₱72.8
54.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$0.90 ₱56.7
176.67%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$1.93 ₱121
102.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$5.66 ₱357
96.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$4.21 ₱265
57.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$7.26 ₱457
102.34%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$2.42 ₱153
-24.38%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.54 ₱97.2
33.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$2.34 ₱147
1.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$1.17 ₱73.7
233.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$2.01 ₱126
-50.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$1.92 ₱121
-47.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$0.92 ₱57.8
71.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.57 ₱35.82
17.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$2.97 ₱187
168.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$7.55 ₱476
-17.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$0.96 ₱60.5
32.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.01 ₱126
1.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.26 ₱16.49
484.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$12.63 ₱795
121.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$0.85 ₱53.5
289.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.21 ₱13.33
552.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$2.01 ₱127
886.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.17 ₱73.6
55.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
40.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$16.8K ₱1.1M
101.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$129 ₱8,095
33.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$15.31 ₱964
53.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$24.12 ₱1,519
-3.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$31.95 ₱2,011
111.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$4.61 ₱290
309.76%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$5.14 ₱324
80.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$131 ₱8,241
307.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$8,881 ₱559.2K
88.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$33.30 ₱2,097
199.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$18.10 ₱1,139
140.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$70.2 ₱4,422
57.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$48.70 ₱3,066
144.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$111 ₱6,985
648.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$172 ₱10.8K
262.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$515 ₱32.4K
209.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$357 ₱22.5K
227.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$2,600 ₱163.7K
124.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$875 ₱55.1K
344.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Iligan City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$198 ₱12.5K
734.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
6.79
-5.01%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Iligan City
$172 72.4% $450
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Iligan City
$184 28.7% $74
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Iligan City
$81 63.8% $142
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Iligan City
$168 22.9% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Iligan City
$77 54.3% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Iligan City
$42 51% $44
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Iligan City
$16 64.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $111 in Iligan City. 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 734% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $18.00 in Iligan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $184 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇵🇭 Iligan City
🕒 Local time
05:45 5:45 AM
11:45 11:45 AM
6 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
342,618
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Iligan City 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Iligan City

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 Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iligan City cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 119%, 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 $1,108 in Iligan City. 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 Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 122% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $131 in Iligan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Iligan City?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Iligan City more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Iligan City – 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 Iligan City?
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 Iligan City. 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.

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