Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Jekabpils

For one person, living is cheaper in Jekabpils: $1,183 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Jekabpils
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Jekabpils Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Jekabpils

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Jekabpils

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,183 in Jekabpils, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Jekabpils $1,183

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,775 in Jekabpils, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Jekabpils $1,775

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,367 in Jekabpils, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Jekabpils $2,367

Budapest costs about 39% more than Jekabpils, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Jekabpils is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$12.32 €10.96

13.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$31.66 €28.16

92.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$9.30 €8.27

11.51%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.41 €3.03

1.47%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.02 €0.91

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.92 €0.81

92.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$5.50 €4.89

-32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$4.91 €4.37

-22.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.10 €0.98

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.51 €1.34

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$2.40 €2.13

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.30 €2.05

73.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$10.52 €9.36

8.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$6.68 €5.94

2.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$13.94 €12.40

3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.53 €1.36

22.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.69 €1.50

26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.92 €1.70

19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$3.24 €2.88

24.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.87 €0.78

17.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.87 €0.77

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.70 €1.51

-7.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.80 €0.71

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$5.67 €5.04

41.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$6.59 €5.86

-6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.43 €1.27

-13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.70 €1.51

21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.10 €0.97

44.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$66.3 €59.0

-58.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.02 €0.91

236.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.37 €0.33

259.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$17.95 €15.97

13.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.71 €1.52

12.87%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$27.2K €24.2K

7.19%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$30.3K €26.9K

14.69%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$266 €236

-34.28%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$11.06 €9.84

113.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$16.45 €14.64

43.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$33.42 €29.73

105.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$13.52 €12.02

42.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$11.05 €9.83

-6.70%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$608 €541

-11.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,823 €6,959

115.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$69.3 €61.6

44.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$27.66 €24.60

56.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$87.0 €77.4

28.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$135 €120

-12.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$221 €197

275.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$166 €148

278.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$385 €342

311.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$333 €296

259.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$826 €735

592.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$798 €710

394.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$966 €859

77.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.77

35.22%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jekabpils: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Jekabpils

$166 14.1% 73.6% $463

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Jekabpils

$238 20.1% 9.1% $24

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Jekabpils

$212 18% 6.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Jekabpils

$293 24.8% 32.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Jekabpils

$144 12.2% 14.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Jekabpils

$56 4.7% 37.9% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Jekabpils

$74 6.2% 67.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $221 in Jekabpils. 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 77% 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 $32.00 in Jekabpils. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $238 – making Jekabpils the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇱🇻 Jekabpils

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

22:59 10:59 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

22,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Jekabpils 1,100 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Jekabpils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,774 in Jekabpils. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 141% less in Jekabpils. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $608 in Jekabpils. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jekabpils, where all-in costs run around $1,183, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Jekabpils it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jekabpils – 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 Jekabpils. 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.