Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and La Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata: $959 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in La Plata
Learn more

La Plata Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

La Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $959 in La Plata, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
La Plata $959

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,711 in La Plata, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
La Plata $1,711

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,464 in La Plata, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
La Plata $2,464

Budapest costs about 69% more than La Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while La Plata is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,554

$15.43 ARS 23.4K

-9.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 20.0K

$49.89 ARS 75.7K

22.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,329

$9.82 ARS 14.9K

3.77%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,067

$3.84 ARS 5,826

-15.10%

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

$2.14 Ft 698

$1.54 ARS 2,342

38.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 583

$0.91 ARS 1,385

95.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,212

$4.04 ARS 6,121

-8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,231

$3.60 ARS 5,455

4.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 375

$1.04 ARS 1,579

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 584

$2.18 ARS 3,301

-17.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 813

$0.88 ARS 1,327

182.95%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,275

$2.23 ARS 3,385

74.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,628

$9.00 ARS 13.7K

23.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,163

$5.40 ARS 8,182

22.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,800

$9.44 ARS 14.3K

55.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 598

$2.08 ARS 3,155

-12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 669

$1.94 ARS 2,941

5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 774

$0.74 ARS 1,121

220.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,274

$1.55 ARS 2,355

151.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 324

$0.52 ARS 789

90.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 325

$0.60 ARS 916

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 517

$1.01 ARS 1,534

56.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 218

$1.01 ARS 1,537

-33.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,601

$3.23 ARS 4,900

146.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,032

$4.99 ARS 7,573

24.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 416

$2.09 ARS 3,176

-39.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 662

$2.83 ARS 4,285

-28.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 496

$0.73 ARS 1,107

108.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,157

$4.59 ARS 6,961

510.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,082

$1.55 ARS 2,350

113.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 447

$0.67 ARS 1,020

104.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,479

$7.76 ARS 11.8K

155.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 595

$1.16 ARS 1,755

56.90%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$22.0K ARS 33.4M

35.34%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

-2.08%

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

$171 Ft 55.9K

$70.9 ARS 107.6K

141.25%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,683

$11.14 ARS 16.9K

111.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,612

$24.13 ARS 36.6K

-3.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 22.1K

$26.16 ARS 39.7K

158.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,174

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

74.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,038

$5.36 ARS 8,121

73.51%

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

$533 Ft 174.3K

$138 ARS 209.5K

286.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$4,189 ARS 6.4M

300.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.6K

$108 ARS 163.1K

-7.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.2K

$20.87 ARS 31.6K

108.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 36.1K

$94.5 ARS 143.3K

16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.9K

$54.1 ARS 82.0K

119.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 271.4K

$346 ARS 524.8K

139.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 203.2K

$238 ARS 361.1K

161.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 520.8K

$1,207 ARS 1.8M

32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 382.4K

$758 ARS 1.1M

54.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,009 ARS 3.0M

190.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,190 ARS 1.8M

226.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 539.6K

$716 ARS 1.1M

130.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-84.64%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for La Plata: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

La Plata

$238 24.8% 61.7% $384

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

La Plata

$205 21.4% 20.6% $53

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

La Plata

$236 24.6% 5.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

La Plata

$106 11.1% 51.3% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

La Plata

$125 13% 25.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

La Plata

$37 3.8% 57.2% $49

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

La Plata

$12 1.3% 71.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $346 in La Plata. 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 130% 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 $50.0 in La Plata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $205 – making La Plata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇦🇷 La Plata

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

5 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

193,144

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 327 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest La Plata 11,930 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
La Plata

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 Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,439 in La Plata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 510% less in La Plata. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $138 in La Plata. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in La Plata, where all-in costs run around $959, than in Budapest at $1,619. In La Plata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Plata – 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 Plata. 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.