Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kecskemet

For one person, living is cheaper in Kecskemet: $1,171 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Kecskemet
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Kecskemet Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Kecskemet

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kecskemet

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,171 in Kecskemet, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Kecskemet $1,171

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,730 in Kecskemet, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Kecskemet $1,730

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,289 in Kecskemet, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Kecskemet $2,289

Budapest costs about 40% more than Kecskemet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Kecskemet is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,552

$9.30 Ft 3,065

48.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

$31.01 Ft 10.2K

98.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,349

$7.46 Ft 2,458

36.19%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,062

$1.55 Ft 509

107.74%

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

$2.06 Ft 680

$1.57 Ft 519

31.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 605

$1.25 Ft 413

46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,188

$2.30 Ft 758

56.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,208

$2.22 Ft 732

64.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.14 Ft 375

4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 617

$1.28 Ft 422

46.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 780

$2.52 Ft 832

-5.95%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,305

$3.66 Ft 1,208

8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,680

$10.60 Ft 3,495

5.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,228

$6.38 Ft 2,103

5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,731

$13.73 Ft 4,527

4.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 596

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$1.69 Ft 556

24.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 770

$1.84 Ft 607

26.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,254

$3.09 Ft 1,020

22.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$0.97 Ft 320

2.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$1.10 Ft 361

-10.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 512

$1.20 Ft 396

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 230

$0.51 Ft 168

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,569

$6.82 Ft 2,247

14.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,995

$3.74 Ft 1,232

61.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.23 Ft 405

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 672

$1.97 Ft 650

3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 511

$1.11 Ft 367

39.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,995

$18.31 Ft 6,036

48.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,087

$1.24 Ft 407

166.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 433

$1.63 Ft 538

-19.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,679

$18.23 Ft 6,009

11.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 600

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$27.3K Ft 9.0M

5.21%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$32.9K Ft 10.9M

0.46%

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

$172 Ft 56.8K

$127 Ft 41.8K

35.72%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,897

$32.09 Ft 10.6K

-25.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,685

$19.40 Ft 6,395

20.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

$61.0 Ft 20.1K

12.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,235

$27.90 Ft 9,198

-32.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,356

$7.71 Ft 2,542

32.04%

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

$600 Ft 197.9K

$245 Ft 80.9K

144.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$6,732 Ft 2.2M

149.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$112 Ft 36.8K

-11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

$15.02 Ft 4,951

187.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$46.49 Ft 15.3K

142.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$77.2 Ft 25.4K

51.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.6K

$496 Ft 163.6K

68.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.9K

$400 Ft 131.8K

60.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

$691 Ft 227.8K

131.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

$594 Ft 196.0K

102.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

$2,336 Ft 770.2K

140.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

$2,013 Ft 663.5K

88.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

$1,065 Ft 351.3K

56.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.67

-3.30%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kecskemet: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Kecskemet

$400 34.1% 37.5% $240

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kecskemet

$229 19.6% 11.2% $29

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Kecskemet

$143 12.2% 35.4% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Kecskemet

$178 15.2% 18.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Kecskemet

$113 9.6% 32.8% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Kecskemet

$76 6.5% 14.1% $13

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kecskemet

$32 2.7% 25.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $496 in Kecskemet. 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 57% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $31 in Kecskemet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $229 – making Kecskemet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Kecskemet

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

109,450

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Budapest vs Kecskemet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 40%, 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 $1,757 in Kecskemet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kecskemet, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $496 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Kecskemet. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $245 in Kecskemet. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kecskemet, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Kecskemet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kecskemet – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kecskemet. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.