Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kisvarda

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisvarda: $1,316 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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 Kisvarda
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Kisvarda Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Kisvarda

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kisvarda

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,316 in Kisvarda, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Kisvarda $1,316

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,974 in Kisvarda, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Kisvarda $1,974

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,632 in Kisvarda, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Kisvarda $2,632

Budapest costs about 24% more than Kisvarda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Kisvarda is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,547

$9.22 Ft 3,037

49.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

$48.35 Ft 15.9K

27.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,345

$9.67 Ft 3,186

5.07%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,061

$2.16 Ft 712

49.07%

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

$2.06 Ft 679

$1.24 Ft 408

66.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 604

$0.95 Ft 312

92.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,187

$1.78 Ft 585

102.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,206

$2.30 Ft 759

59.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.25 Ft 411

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 616

$1.51 Ft 497

23.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 779

$2.47 Ft 814

-4.05%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,304

$3.67 Ft 1,208

7.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,676

$10.23 Ft 3,370

9.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,225

$6.98 Ft 2,297

-3.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,725

$15.25 Ft 5,023

-5.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 595

$1.97 Ft 647

-8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 694

$2.16 Ft 710

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 769

$2.08 Ft 687

12.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,253

$3.55 Ft 1,169

7.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$0.89 Ft 295

11.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$1.27 Ft 417

-22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 511

$1.56 Ft 515

-0.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 229

$0.56 Ft 185

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,566

$6.93 Ft 2,281

12.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,993

$4.03 Ft 1,326

50.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.23 Ft 406

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 671

$2.20 Ft 723

-7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 510

$1.24 Ft 409

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,985

$29.35 Ft 9,666

-7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,086

$3.28 Ft 1,080

0.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 432

$1.43 Ft 472

-8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,671

$12.10 Ft 3,986

67.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 599

$1.86 Ft 613

-2.15%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$27.6K Ft 9.1M

4.01%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$34.2K Ft 11.3M

-3.24%

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

$172 Ft 56.7K

$156 Ft 51.3K

10.53%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,888

$26.70 Ft 8,794

-10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,677

$21.46 Ft 7,065

8.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

$57.4 Ft 18.9K

19.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,227

$17.98 Ft 5,920

5.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,352

$9.48 Ft 3,123

7.38%

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

$600 Ft 197.7K

$407 Ft 134.2K

47.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$10.7K Ft 3.5M

56.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$89.7 Ft 29.5K

10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

$32.93 Ft 10.8K

31.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$86.8 Ft 28.6K

29.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$101 Ft 33.2K

16.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.3K

$511 Ft 168.3K

63.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.7K

$451 Ft 148.6K

41.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.3K

$832 Ft 273.9K

92.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 396.8K

$691 Ft 227.4K

74.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

$3,073 Ft 1.0M

83.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

$2,133 Ft 702.5K

78.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 550.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.9

-6.52%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kisvarda: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Kisvarda

$451 34.3% 29.5% $189

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kisvarda

$249 18.9% 3.6% $9.2

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Kisvarda

$151 11.5% 31.5% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Kisvarda

$204 15.5% 7.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Kisvarda

$140 10.6% 16.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Kisvarda

$76 5.8% 14.2% $13

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kisvarda

$45 3.4% 3.3% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $511 in Kisvarda. 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 $48 in Kisvarda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $249 – making Kisvarda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Kisvarda

🕒 Local time

19:20 7:20 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

14,888

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.04 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 Kisvarda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 24%, 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 $1,974 in Kisvarda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kisvarda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $511 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $407 in Kisvarda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,638 in Budapest and $1,316 in Kisvarda, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kisvarda – 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.