Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and La Serena

For one person, living is cheaper in La Serena: $1,094 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,094

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,094 in La Serena, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
La Serena $1,094

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,814 in La Serena, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
La Serena $1,814

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,534 in La Serena, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
La Serena $2,534

Budapest costs about 48% more than La Serena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while La Serena is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$7.53 CLP 7,339

85.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$48.88 CLP 47.7K

23.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$8.16 CLP 7,956

22.06%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.91 CLP 2,835

16.15%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.10 CLP 1,074

93.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.64 CLP 626

192.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.11 CLP 2,053

77.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.82 CLP 3,727

-6.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.25 CLP 1,216

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.38 CLP 2,320

-22.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.53 CLP 1,492

56.21%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.86 CLP 3,761

-0.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$12.43 CLP 12.1K

-8.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.99 CLP 5,836

12.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$12.72 CLP 12.4K

15.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.82 CLP 1,777

1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.78 CLP 1,733

12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.28 CLP 1,251

84.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.43 CLP 1,391

163.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.15 CLP 1,118

-16.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.22 CLP 1,191

-15.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.02 CLP 999

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.92 CLP 896

-28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$5.30 CLP 5,164

50.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$5.18 CLP 5,055

16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.96 CLP 939

35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.08 CLP 2,028

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.04 CLP 1,015

44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$35.64 CLP 34.8K

-22.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.70 CLP 680

371.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$2.04 CLP 1,994

-36.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$12.37 CLP 12.1K

59.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.43 CLP 1,391

26.57%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$20.4K CLP 19.9M

43.63%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$12.6K CLP 12.3M

169.71%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$89.2 CLP 86.9K

90.58%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$11.07 CLP 10.8K

116.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$21.51 CLP 21.0K

8.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$86.5 CLP 84.3K

-23.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$20.92 CLP 20.4K

-8.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$8.13 CLP 7,929

17.10%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$44.32 CLP 43.2K

128.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$61.4 CLP 59.9K

-30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$92.2 CLP 89.9K

22.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$105 CLP 102.0K

13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$429 CLP 418.2K

87.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$323 CLP 314.8K

94.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$898 CLP 876.1K

72.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$728 CLP 709.8K

60.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,070 CLP 2.0M

171.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,353 CLP 1.3M

193.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$718 CLP 700.2K

126.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.5

-1.08%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for La Serena: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

La Serena

$323 29% 48.7% $306

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

La Serena

$236 21.1% 8.5% $22

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

La Serena

$145 13% 35.5% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

La Serena

$122 10.9% 44% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

La Serena

$136 12.2% 19.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

La Serena

$103 9.2% 20.5% $17

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

La Serena

$51 4.6% 16.8% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $429 in La Serena. 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 126% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $49.00 in La Serena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $236 – making La Serena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

04:02 4:02 AM

5 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

195,382

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest La Serena 12,430 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

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 Serena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,642 in La Serena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 29% less in La Serena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Serena, where all-in costs run around $1,094, than in Budapest at $1,621. In La Serena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Serena – 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 Serena. 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.