Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kobe: $1,381 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Kobe
Learn more

Kobe Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Kobe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kobe

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,381 in Kobe, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Kobe $1,381

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,056 in Kobe, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Kobe $2,056

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,732 in Kobe, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Kobe $2,732

Budapest costs about 17% more than Kobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Kobe sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Kobe by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$7.75 ¥1,224

79.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$30.99 ¥4,896

97.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.76 ¥752

114.08%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.34 ¥370

39.32%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.14 ¥180

87.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.62 ¥97.6

187.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.05 ¥324

80.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.33 ¥369

61.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.53 ¥242

-24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.25 ¥198

43.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$4.19 ¥662

-40.57%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.00 ¥317

95.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$12.57 ¥1,985

-11.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$7.06 ¥1,115

-6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$17.20 ¥2,717

-14.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$7.99 ¥1,263

-77.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.94 ¥464

-30.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$5.09 ¥804

-53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$7.64 ¥1,208

-48.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$3.86 ¥610

-74.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$3.37 ¥533

-70.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.18 ¥186

33.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.88 ¥140

-23.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.40 ¥538

134.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.29 ¥1,309

-24.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.96 ¥310

-35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.50 ¥237

35.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.47 ¥232

3.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$64.1 ¥10.1K

-56.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.17 ¥501

4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$3.17 ¥501

-56.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$26.12 ¥4,127

-24.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.10 ¥173

65.45%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$20.1K ¥3.2M

48.01%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

118.65%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$143 ¥22.6K

19.86%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$23.62 ¥3,732

-0.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$31.28 ¥4,942

-25.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$45.38 ¥7,170

48.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$11.47 ¥1,813

64.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.46 ¥1,810

-18.85%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$317 ¥50.0K

68.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,099 ¥963.6K

174.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$49.73 ¥7,857

100.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$25.25 ¥3,988

72.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$46.07 ¥7,279

139.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$64.8 ¥10.2K

83.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$683 ¥107.8K

21.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$459 ¥72.5K

35.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,057 ¥166.9K

50.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$741 ¥117.1K

57.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$4,263 ¥673.4K

36.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,821 ¥445.7K

37.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,962 ¥310.0K

-15.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.02

219.31%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kobe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Kobe

$459 33.3% 26.2% $163

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Kobe

$356 25.8% 38.2% $98

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Kobe

$126 9.2% 43.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Kobe

$198 14.3% 9.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Kobe

$84 6.1% 50.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Kobe

$68 5% 20.7% $18

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Kobe

$89 6.5% 101% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $683 in Kobe. 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 19% higher in Kobe, 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 $31.00 in Kobe. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $356 in Kobe – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Kobe

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

15:42 3:42 PM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,537,272

💱 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 Kobe 8,890 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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Budapest
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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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,071 in Kobe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 129% less in Kobe. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $317 in Kobe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kobe, where all-in costs run around $1,381, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Kobe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kobe – 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 Kobe. 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.