Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,111 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
Learn more

Jeju Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Jeju

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,111 in Jeju, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Jeju $1,111

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,874 in Jeju, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Jeju $1,874

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,637 in Jeju, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Jeju $2,637

Budapest costs about 46% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Jeju is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$7.26 ₩9,749

92.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$52.0 ₩69.9K

16.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$5.44 ₩7,308

83.09%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$6.03 ₩8,099

-43.95%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$2.22 ₩2,988

-4.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$1.94 ₩2,601

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$3.58 ₩4,808

4.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$2.91 ₩3,907

22.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$2.22 ₩2,987

-49.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$2.21 ₩2,968

-16.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.29 ₩3,079

4.37%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$2.70 ₩3,621

41.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$2.13 ₩2,866

-5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$2.93 ₩3,934

-67.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$1.87 ₩2,512

-44.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$2.18 ₩2,932

-28.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.43 ₩579

53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$11.41 ₩15.3K

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$1.93 ₩2,594

-32.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$1.72 ₩2,305

20.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.95 ₩1,275

57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.39 ₩1,862

30.22%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$210 ₩282.5K

-19.20%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$54.7 ₩73.5K

-56.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$19.28 ₩25.9K

21.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$24.6K ₩33.0M

-32.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$52.2 ₩70.2K

94.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$29.57 ₩39.7K

45.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$65.8 ₩88.3K

71.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$89.9 ₩120.8K

32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$460 ₩618.0K

75.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$382 ₩512.5K

64.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$1,317 ₩1.8M

17.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$1,145 ₩1.5M

1.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$10.4K ₩14.0M

-45.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$6,745 ₩9.1M

-41.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$1,840 ₩2.5M

-11.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Jeju

$382 34.6% 39.4% $248

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Jeju

$139 * 12.6% 45.9% $118

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Jeju

$187 17% 16.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Jeju

$284 25.8% 30.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 36.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3% 91.3% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $460 in Jeju. 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 13% higher in Jeju, 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $52.0 in Jeju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $139 – making Jeju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

16:06 4:06 PM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

469,279

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Jeju 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,667 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 85% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $52.0 in Jeju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. 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.