Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and La Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $772 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
38

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
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La Marsa Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in La Marsa

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $772 in La Marsa, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
La Marsa $772

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,291 in La Marsa, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
La Marsa $1,291

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,809 in La Marsa, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
La Marsa $1,809

Budapest costs about 110% more than La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while La Marsa is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.41 TND 10.21

308.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$20.34 TND 60.9

200.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.24 TND 15.69

94.47%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.30 TND 3.88

150.77%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.60 TND 1.79

256.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.26 TND 0.77

584.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.48 TND 4.44

150.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.98 TND 5.92

90.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.53 TND 1.60

116.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.31 TND 0.94

477.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.32 TND 6.96

7.33%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.85 TND 5.53

110.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$9.51 TND 28.49

16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.65 TND 19.93

-0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.01 TND 38.98

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.03 TND 6.08

-9.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$3.58 TND 10.71

-42.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.47 TND 4.42

61.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.67 TND 2.00

482.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.60 TND 1.79

65.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.65 TND 1.96

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.40 TND 1.21

295.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.30 TND 0.91

123.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.64 TND 10.91

118.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.50 TND 19.47

-4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.27 TND 3.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.61 TND 4.84

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.34 TND 1.03

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$6.99 TND 20.93

300.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.29 TND 0.86

1041.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.42 TND 1.27

226.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$4.10 TND 12.28

383.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.87 TND 2.60

109.20%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$36.9K TND 110.5K

-19.21%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$31.1K TND 93.1K

8.79%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$33.98 TND 102

403.59%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$12.23 TND 36.62

92.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$18.32 TND 54.9

27.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$41.68 TND 125

62.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$7.45 TND 22.30

153.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.27 TND 15.80

76.47%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$59.5 TND 178

796.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,560 TND 7,666

554.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$63.5 TND 190

56.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$69.4 TND 208

-37.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$90.9 TND 272

21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$89.9 TND 269

32.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$288 TND 863

188.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$233 TND 697

167.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$707 TND 2,116

125.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$572 TND 1,712

104.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,831 TND 5,485

218.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,018 TND 3,049

281.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$334 TND 1,000

394.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-53.93%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for La Marsa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

La Marsa

$233 30.1% 62.6% $389

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

La Marsa

$198 25.6% 23.3% $60

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

La Marsa

$73 9.5% 67.1% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

La Marsa

$65 8.4% 70.4% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

La Marsa

$141 18.3% 15.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

La Marsa

$52 6.8% 39.4% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

La Marsa

$11 1.4% 75.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $288 in La Marsa. 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 394% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $20.00 in La Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $198 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

00:05 12:05 AM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

92,987

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest La Marsa 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min 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 La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 110%, 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 $1,159 in La Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 301% less in La Marsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $59.5 in La Marsa. 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 La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Budapest at $1,619. In La Marsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Marsa – 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 La Marsa. 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.