Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kabul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $511 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
Learn more

Kabul Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kabul

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $511 in Kabul, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kabul $511

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $684 in Kabul, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kabul $684

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $857 in Kabul, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kabul $857

Budapest costs about 217% more than Kabul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Kabul is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$2.70 ؋175

418.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$7.89 ؋511

664.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$4.51 ؋292

120.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ؋148

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$1.09 ؋70.5

210.09%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$0.45 ؋28.95

373.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.17 ؋10.83

1000.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$0.81 ؋52.4

39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$0.25 ؋16.23

636.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.86 ؋121

28.49%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$1.54 ؋99.7

148.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$4.46 ؋289

154.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$4.03 ؋261

67.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$6.71 ؋434

118.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$0.70 ؋45.11

162.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$0.89 ؋57.4

125.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$0.95 ؋61.5

148.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$0.55 ؋35.47

585.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.61 ؋39.34

57.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$0.51 ؋32.74

101.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.30 ؋19.48

420.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.37 ؋23.89

78.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ؋52.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋65.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$2.42 ؋157

228.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.13 ؋8.60

1053.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$21.08 ؋1,366

30.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$2.12 ؋138

55.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.45 ؋29.02

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$2.77 ؋179

614.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.08 ؋69.9

67.59%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$8,341 ؋540.2K

251.60%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$33.8K ؋2.2M

1.00%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$42.09 ؋2,726

303.75%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$13.12 ؋850

82.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$95.3 ؋6,174

-75.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$11.15 ؋722

494.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$4.11 ؋266

366.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$2.34 ؋152

306.84%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$20.64 ؋1,337

2500.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$1,045 ؋67.7K

1488.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$10.71 ؋694

846.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$15.93 ؋1,032

169.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$57.8 ؋3,741

95.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$25.51 ؋1,652

365.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$125 ؋8,092

544.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$109 ؋7,043

478.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$219 ؋14.2K

608.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$115 ؋7,463

912.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$675 ؋43.7K

732.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$363 ؋23.5K

991.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$339 ؋21.9K

379.74%

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 Kabul: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kabul

$109 21.6% 82.7% $520

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kabul

$102 20.2% 60.5% $156

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kabul

$51 10.1% 77.4% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kabul

$151 29.9% 30.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kabul

$49 9.8% 70.8% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kabul

$16 3.2% 81.4% $69

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kabul

$26 5.2% 40.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $125 in Kabul. 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 380% 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 $8.00 in Kabul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $102 – making Kabul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇦🇫 Kabul

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

13:34 1:34 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,289,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, 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).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kabul 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 217%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $767 in Kabul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Kabul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $20.64 in Kabul. 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 Kabul, where all-in costs run around $511, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Kabul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kabul – 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 Kabul. 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.