Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kalocsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalocsa: $1,307 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Kalocsa
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Kalocsa Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Kalocsa

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kalocsa

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,307 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Kalocsa $1,307

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $2,036 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Kalocsa $2,036

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,764 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Kalocsa $2,764

Budapest costs about 25% more than Kalocsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Kalocsa is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,552

$12.15 Ft 4,007

13.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

$52.4 Ft 17.3K

17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,349

$9.17 Ft 3,025

10.80%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,062

$2.59 Ft 853

24.32%

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

$2.06 Ft 680

$1.97 Ft 650

4.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 605

$1.14 Ft 377

60.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,188

$3.12 Ft 1,030

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,208

$2.88 Ft 949

27.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.22 Ft 403

-2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 617

$1.45 Ft 477

28.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 780

$2.34 Ft 772

1.28%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,305

$3.29 Ft 1,084

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,680

$10.90 Ft 3,594

2.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,228

$6.29 Ft 2,074

7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,731

$13.52 Ft 4,459

6.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 596

$2.43 Ft 802

-25.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$2.09 Ft 688

0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 770

$2.08 Ft 687

12.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,254

$4.05 Ft 1,336

-6.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$1.14 Ft 376

-13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$1.28 Ft 423

-23.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 512

$1.70 Ft 559

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 230

$0.48 Ft 159

45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,569

$7.93 Ft 2,613

-1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,995

$6.00 Ft 1,977

0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.22 Ft 403

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 672

$1.63 Ft 538

25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 511

$1.08 Ft 358

43.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,995

$26.02 Ft 8,579

4.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,087

$3.07 Ft 1,014

7.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 433

$1.50 Ft 496

-12.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,679

$18.48 Ft 6,091

9.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 600

$1.81 Ft 595

0.55%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$31.6K Ft 10.4M

-9.22%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$35.3K Ft 11.6M

-6.38%

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

$172 Ft 56.8K

$151 Ft 49.9K

13.73%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,897

$32.52 Ft 10.7K

-26.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,685

$26.53 Ft 8,748

-12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

$49.63 Ft 16.4K

38.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,235

$16.55 Ft 5,458

14.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,356

$7.83 Ft 2,581

30.01%

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

$600 Ft 197.9K

$242 Ft 79.9K

147.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$7,688 Ft 2.5M

118.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$86.5 Ft 28.5K

14.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

$27.23 Ft 8,976

58.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$96.6 Ft 31.8K

16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$108 Ft 35.5K

8.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.6K

$575 Ft 189.7K

45.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.9K

$410 Ft 135.1K

56.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

$665 Ft 219.1K

140.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

$744 Ft 245.4K

61.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

$2,984 Ft 983.8K

88.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

$2,829 Ft 932.7K

34.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.25

-21.82%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kalocsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Kalocsa

$410 31.4% 35.9% $230

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kalocsa

$247 18.9% 4.3% $11

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Kalocsa

$190 14.5% 14% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Kalocsa

$210 16.1% 4.1% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Kalocsa

$143 11% 14.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Kalocsa

$65 5% 26.6% $24

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kalocsa

$41 3.1% 5.5% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $575 in Kalocsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $52 in Kalocsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $247 – making Kalocsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Kalocsa

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

14,433

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kalocsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $1,960 in Kalocsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalocsa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $575 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Kalocsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $242 in Kalocsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,638 in Budapest and $1,307 in Kalocsa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kalocsa – 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.

For expats, Kalocsa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 25% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.