Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Izmir

For one person, living is cheaper in Izmir: $1,243 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
Learn more

Izmir Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Izmir

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,243 in Izmir, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Izmir $1,243

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,919 in Izmir, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Izmir $1,919

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,596 in Izmir, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Izmir $2,596

Budapest costs about 30% more than Izmir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Izmir is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$10.22 ₺503

36.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$36.41 ₺1,793

65.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$8.49 ₺418

17.31%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.73 ₺184

-9.38%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.47 ₺72.6

44.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.62 ₺30.76

201.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$3.44 ₺169

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$5.01 ₺247

-28.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.09 ₺53.9

3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.02 ₺50.0

80.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.38 ₺117

0.42%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.56 ₺126

49.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$9.37 ₺462

20.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.16 ₺254

30.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$21.82 ₺1,075

-32.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.07 ₺102

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.21 ₺109

-9.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.02 ₺50.3

131.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.46 ₺72.0

158.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.59 ₺28.95

62.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.37 ₺18.11

178.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.12 ₺55.3

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.78 ₺38.46

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.20 ₺108

261.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$11.68 ₺575

-48.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$2.00 ₺98.8

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$3.14 ₺155

-33.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.74 ₺36.54

102.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$42.44 ₺2,091

-34.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.69 ₺182

-10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.03 ₺50.9

26.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$5.55 ₺274

256.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.40 ₺68.7

29.29%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$41.8K ₺2.1M

-29.92%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$46.0K ₺2.3M

-25.92%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$86.0 ₺4,237

97.56%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$10.76 ₺530

122.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$15.90 ₺783

47.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$63.9 ₺3,145

3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$35.16 ₺1,732

-45.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$8.13 ₺400

17.10%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$693 ₺34.1K

-22.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$14.7K ₺723.7K

13.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$46.73 ₺2,302

116.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$37.49 ₺1,847

14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$91.1 ₺4,485

23.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$83.4 ₺4,110

42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$603 ₺29.7K

33.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$424 ₺20.9K

48.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,135 ₺55.9K

36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$785 ₺38.7K

48.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,492 ₺73.5K

276.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,035 ₺51.0K

283.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,145 ₺56.4K

41.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

42.33

-84.81%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Izmir: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Izmir

$424 34.6% 32.7% $205

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Izmir

$251 20.5% 2.5% $6.4

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Izmir

$188 15.3% 16.3% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Izmir

$113 9.2% 48.2% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Izmir

$116 9.5% 31.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Izmir

$80 6.5% 6.1% $5.2

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Izmir

$54 4.4% 25% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $603 in Izmir. 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 42% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $36.00 in Izmir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $251 – making Izmir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇷 Izmir

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

04:54 4:54 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

4,493,242

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, 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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Izmir 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Izmir

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 Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,864 in Izmir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 54% less in Izmir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $693 in Izmir. 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 Izmir, where all-in costs run around $1,243, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Izmir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Izmir – 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 Izmir. 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.