Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kingston

For one person, living costs are similar in Budapest and in Kingston: $1,621 and $1,668 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kingston

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,668 in Kingston, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kingston $1,668

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,779 in Kingston, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kingston $2,779

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,890 in Kingston, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kingston $3,890

Budapest is about 3% cheaper than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Kingston sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Kingston by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$13.57 JMD 2,150

3.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$74.2 JMD 11.8K

-18.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$7.95 JMD 1,261

25.28%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$5.47 JMD 866

-38.21%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.14 JMD 180

86.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.75 JMD 118

149.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$2.26 JMD 358

65.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$3.13 JMD 496

14.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$4.12 JMD 654

-72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$3.79 JMD 600

-51.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.59 JMD 251

50.31%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$3.56 JMD 564

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$11.22 JMD 1,778

0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$6.48 JMD 1,026

4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$10.22 JMD 1,620

43.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$5.89 JMD 933

-68.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$3.90 JMD 619

-48.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$7.34 JMD 1,163

-67.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$3.06 JMD 485

23.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$3.23 JMD 511

-70.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$2.67 JMD 423

-61.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$3.05 JMD 483

-48.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.51 JMD 240

-56.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$9.51 JMD 1,507

-16.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$11.32 JMD 1,793

-46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$2.82 JMD 447

-53.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$4.10 JMD 649

-49.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.78 JMD 123

92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$37.32 JMD 5,914

-26.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$1.24 JMD 196

166.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$3.18 JMD 504

-59.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$6.46 JMD 1,023

206.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.42 JMD 225

27.46%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$44.7K JMD 7.1M

-34.34%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

3.78%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$169 JMD 26.7K

0.76%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$29.11 JMD 4,613

-17.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$52.9 JMD 8,390

-55.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$62.5 JMD 9,904

5.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$17.63 JMD 2,793

8.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$13.28 JMD 2,104

-28.31%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$357 JMD 56.6K

50.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$8,163 JMD 1.3M

103.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$23.85 JMD 3,780

324.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$31.37 JMD 4,971

37.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$78.0 JMD 12.4K

44.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$102 JMD 16.1K

16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$957 JMD 151.6K

-15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$576 JMD 91.3K

9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$2,139 JMD 338.9K

-27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$1,391 JMD 220.5K

-16.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,892 JMD 458.2K

94.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,080 JMD 329.6K

90.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$733 JMD 116.1K

121.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

9.45

-31.96%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kingston

$576 34.2% 8.4% $53

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kingston

$384 22.8% 49.2% $127

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kingston

$223 13.2% 0.5% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kingston

$251 14.9% 15.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kingston

$106 6.3% 37.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 4.4% $3.8

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kingston

$58 3.4% 32.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $957 in Kingston. 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 122% higher in Budapest, 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $74.0 in Kingston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $384 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

02:24 2:24 AM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kingston 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kingston

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kingston is pricier by about 3%, 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 $2,502 in Kingston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 35% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $357 in Kingston. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Kingston at $1,668. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston 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, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.