Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lages

For one person, living is cheaper in Lages: $931 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Lages
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Lages Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Lages

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Lages

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $931 in Lages, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Lages $931

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,494 in Lages, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Lages $1,494

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,058 in Lages, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Lages $2,058

Budapest costs about 76% more than Lages, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Lages is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$7.95 R$40.28

76.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$39.35 R$199

54.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$6.90 R$34.96

50.29%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$2.52 R$12.77

37.30%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.42 R$7.22

45.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.06 R$5.39

66.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.48 R$12.56

48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$2.98 R$15.10

27.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.00 R$5.07

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.68 R$8.52

10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.09 R$5.51

120.18%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.46 R$12.45

62.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$10.28 R$52.1

10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$4.88 R$24.73

40.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$9.90 R$50.2

46.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$2.45 R$12.42

-23.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.52 R$7.69

40.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.41 R$7.16

63.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.62 R$8.20

149.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$1.25 R$6.34

-18.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.08 R$5.47

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.94 R$4.79

68.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.81 R$4.11

-13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$2.54 R$12.87

216.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$8.22 R$41.66

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.14 R$5.76

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$2.26 R$11.47

-8.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.00 R$5.09

59.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$44.06 R$223

-37.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.28 R$6.51

167.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.81 R$4.12

64.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$8.29 R$42.05

146.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.34 R$6.77

44.03%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$23.9K R$121.4K

21.69%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$33.4K R$169.4K

3.95%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$77.0 R$390

126.71%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$12.30 R$62.4

92.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$22.01 R$112

7.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$25.95 R$132

165.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$27.71 R$140

-30.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$7.50 R$38.02

37.47%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$282 R$1,428

89.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,318 R$37.1K

130.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$50.3 R$255

98.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$57.6 R$292

-24.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$102 R$518

9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$79.7 R$404

49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$362 R$1,833

130.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$245 R$1,241

157.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$681 R$3,454

132.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$465 R$2,358

157.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$1,705 R$8,643

235.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,216 R$6,164

224.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.5

-43.91%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lages: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Lages

$245 26.3% 61.1% $384

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Lages

$207 22.3% 20.9% $55

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Lages

$143 15.3% 36.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Lages

$111 12% 49.8% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Lages

$130 14% 22.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Lages

$41 4.4% 54.2% $49

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Lages

$53 5.7% 21.5% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $362 in Lages. 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $39.00 in Lages. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $207 – making Lages the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇷 Lages

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

19:35 7:35 PM

5 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

164,981

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Lages 10,860 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Lages: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,396 in Lages. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 60% less in Lages. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $282 in Lages. 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 Lages, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Lages it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lages – 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 Lages. 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.