Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,057 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Jimma

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,057 in Jimma, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Jimma $1,057

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,424 in Jimma, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Jimma $1,424

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,792 in Jimma, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Jimma $1,792

Budapest costs about 53% more than Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$4.65 ETB 747

200.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$1.17 ETB 188

188.89%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.59 ETB 95.2

261.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.44 ETB 70.0

325.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.81 ETB 452

33.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.43 ETB 230

149.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.15 ETB 185

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.36 ETB 58.1

411.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.12 ETB 180

113.39%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$4.02 ETB 646

-4.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$11.49 ETB 1,847

-41.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$11.42 ETB 1,835

28.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.30 ETB 370

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.12 ETB 180

79.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$3.45 ETB 555

-31.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$0.58 ETB 93.8

550.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.55 ETB 87.7

74.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$3.35 ETB 538

-69.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.58 ETB 93.7

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$6.63 ETB 1,065

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.16 ETB 187

12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.45 ETB 234

43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.22 ETB 35.27

581.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$13.38 ETB 2,150

106.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$1.72 ETB 276

1050.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.74 ETB 279

4.02%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

-42.77%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

-41.15%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

167.88%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$36.28 ETB 5,829

-33.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$313 ETB 50.3K

-92.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$34.06 ETB 5,474

94.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

-53.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$139 ETB 22.3K

-18.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$115 ETB 18.5K

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$208 ETB 33.4K

287.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$160 ETB 25.7K

293.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$415 ETB 66.7K

273.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$310 ETB 49.9K

275.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

152.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

255.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$227 ETB 36.5K

616.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

-28.56%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Jimma

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Jimma

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Jimma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Jimma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Jimma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Jimma

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Jimma

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $208 in Jimma. 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 616% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇪🇹 Jimma

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

207,573

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, 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).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Jimma 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,585 in Jimma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 29% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 106% less in Jimma. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jimma, where all-in costs run around $1,057, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Jimma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jimma – 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 Jimma. 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.