Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ilopango

For one person, living costs are similar in Budapest and in Ilopango: $1,621 and $1,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ilopango

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,625 in Ilopango, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Ilopango $1,625

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,858 in Ilopango, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Ilopango $1,858

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,090 in Ilopango, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Ilopango $2,090

Budapest and Ilopango have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Budapest and Ilopango sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Ilopango by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$3.16 $3.16

342.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$44.12 $44.12

36.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$5.04 $5.04

97.62%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.94 $2.94

14.97%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.93 $0.93

129.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.97 $0.97

92.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$0.91 $0.91

312.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.75 $1.75

104.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$3.28 $3.28

-65.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.44 $1.44

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$3.07 $3.07

-22.15%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.92 $2.92

31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$5.02 $5.02

125.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.86 $5.86

15.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$9.86 $9.86

48.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.92 $2.92

-36.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.02 $2.02

-0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.03 $2.03

16.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.95 $1.95

93.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.02 $2.02

-52.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.97 $1.97

-47.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.93 $0.93

67.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.97 $0.97

-31.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$3.95 $3.95

101.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$12.18 $12.18

-50.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.98 $0.98

32.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.06 $2.06

0.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.88 $0.88

70.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$35.67 $35.67

-22.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$7.16 $7.16

-53.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$2.16 $2.16

-39.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$4.71 $4.71

319.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.67 $0.67

170.15%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$19.9K $19.9K

47.06%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$26.1K $26.1K

30.83%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$34.38 $34.38

394.30%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$9.97 $9.97

140.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$39.70 $39.70

-41.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$39.80 $39.80

66.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$10.04 $10.04

91.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$4.97 $4.97

91.55%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$104 $104

413.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$1,904 $1,904

772.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$20.18 $20.18

402.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$29.95 $29.95

43.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$75.4 $75.4

49.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$58.9 $58.9

101.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$677 $677

18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$1,038 $1,038

-39.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$585 $585

164.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$640 $640

82.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,747 $1,747

221.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$949 $949

318.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$976 $976

66.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.17%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Ilopango

$1K 62.9% 65% $409

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Ilopango

$248 15% 3.6% $9.2

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Ilopango

$91 5.5% 59.3% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Ilopango

$84 5.1% 61.3% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Ilopango

$83 5% 50.9% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Ilopango

$50 3% 41.7% $36

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 31.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $677 in Ilopango. 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 67% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $44.00 in Ilopango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $248 – making Ilopango the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

38,890

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Ilopango 10,200 km ≈ 13 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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,437 in Ilopango. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $44.00 in Ilopango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Ilopango at $1,625. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilopango 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, Ilopango makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.