Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kashiwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kashiwa: $1,230 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kashiwa
Learn more

Kashiwa Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Kashiwa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kashiwa

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,230 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Kashiwa $1,230

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,857 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Kashiwa $1,857

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,484 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Kashiwa $2,484

Budapest costs about 32% more than Kashiwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Kashiwa is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.44 ¥1,018

116.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$24.90 ¥3,933

145.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.13 ¥811

98.64%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.46 ¥546

-5.78%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.69 ¥108

210.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.79 ¥125

125.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.47 ¥391

50.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.13 ¥494

20.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.22 ¥193

-5.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.13 ¥179

58.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$3.59 ¥567

-30.64%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.86 ¥293

109.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.39 ¥1,010

73.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.06 ¥958

9.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.37 ¥1,480

56.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$5.66 ¥893

-67.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.71 ¥428

-24.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.94 ¥465

-19.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.09 ¥646

-4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.49 ¥394

-60.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.64 ¥417

-62.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.60 ¥95.4

163.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.61 ¥96.6

9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.88 ¥614

105.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.35 ¥1,003

-2.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.80 ¥284

-29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.91 ¥301

6.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.44 ¥228

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$53.4 ¥8,439

-47.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.10 ¥490

6.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.56 ¥246

-12.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$20.60 ¥3,255

-3.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.00 ¥159

82.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

37.70%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$18.5K ¥2.9M

83.04%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$127 ¥20.1K

34.70%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$24.24 ¥3,830

-3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$31.65 ¥5,000

-26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$52.9 ¥8,356

27.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$12.83 ¥2,027

-27.51%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$628 ¥99.2K

-15.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.7K ¥2.3M

14.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$62.1 ¥9,813

60.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$37.38 ¥5,906

16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$61.5 ¥9,714

79.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$101 ¥15.9K

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$523 ¥82.6K

58.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$400 ¥63.2K

55.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,123 ¥177.5K

41.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$743 ¥117.5K

57.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$4,183 ¥660.9K

39.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,934 ¥305.5K

101.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$2,653 ¥419.2K

-37.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.64

144.32%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Kashiwa

$400 32.5% 35.7% $222

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Kashiwa

$248 20.1% 4% $10

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Kashiwa

$133 10.8% 40.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Kashiwa

$183 14.9% 16.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Kashiwa

$118 9.6% 29.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Kashiwa

$79 6.4% 8.8% $7.6

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Kashiwa

$70 5.7% 58.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $523 in Kashiwa. 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 61% higher in Kashiwa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $25.00 in Kashiwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $248 – making Kashiwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Kashiwa

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

417,394

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Kashiwa 9,040 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,845 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 91% less in Kashiwa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $628 in Kashiwa. 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 Kashiwa, where all-in costs run around $1,230, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Kashiwa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kashiwa – 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 Kashiwa. 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.