Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,201 in Kaka, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. The total is higher in Kaka despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Kaka
Learn more

Kaka Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kaka

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$2,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kaka

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $2,201 in Kaka, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kaka $2,201

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $3,296 in Kaka, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kaka $3,296

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $4,391 in Kaka, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kaka $4,391

Budapest is about 26% cheaper than Kaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Kaka sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Kaka by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$31.81 TMT 107

-56.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$85.5 TMT 286

-29.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$12.84 TMT 43.00

-22.43%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$6.59 TMT 22.07

-48.71%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.58 TMT 5.30

34.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.83 TMT 2.78

125.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$5.61 TMT 18.79

-33.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$13.77 TMT 46.14

-74.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$4.54 TMT 15.20

-75.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$2.05 TMT 6.86

-10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$6.01 TMT 20.14

-60.23%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$5.90 TMT 19.76

-35.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$37.81 TMT 127

-70.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$20.30 TMT 68.0

-66.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$22.71 TMT 76.1

-35.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$4.93 TMT 16.51

-62.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$8.31 TMT 27.85

-75.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$7.44 TMT 24.93

-68.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$3.79 TMT 12.69

-0.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$2.32 TMT 7.78

-58.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$1.44 TMT 4.81

-28.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$2.63 TMT 8.81

-40.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.11 TMT 3.73

-40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$26.04 TMT 87.3

-69.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$41.38 TMT 139

-85.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$5.06 TMT 16.95

-74.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$2.82 TMT 9.46

-26.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$2.79 TMT 9.34

18.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.89 TMT 2.97

46.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$8.71 TMT 29.19

127.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.41 TMT 1.39

341.46%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$43.3K TMT 145.1K

-32.30%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$56.1K TMT 188.0K

-39.22%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$561 TMT 1,881

-69.73%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$56.9 TMT 191

-57.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$102 TMT 343

-77.09%

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

$8.35 TMT 27.97

14.01%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$22.89 TMT 76.7

2244.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$24.5K TMT 82.0K

-32.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$54.7 TMT 183

85.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$114 TMT 383

-62.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$357 TMT 1,197

-68.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$190 TMT 636

-37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

9.5

-32.32%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kaka: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kaka

$667 30.7% 159% $410

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kaka

$437 20.1% 95% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kaka

$721 33.2% 232% $503

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kaka

$322 14.8% 90.5% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kaka

$17 * 0.8% 80.4% $69

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kaka

$7.2 * 0.3% 83.4% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $85.0 in Kaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $667 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇲 Kaka

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

14:04 2:04 PM

3 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

33,315

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kaka 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kaka

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 Kaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kaka is pricier by about 36%, 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 $3,301 in Kaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $85.0 in Kaka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 159% more in Kaka, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Kaka at $2,201. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.