Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lapu-Lapu

For one person, living is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu: $845 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Lapu-Lapu
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Lapu-Lapu Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Lapu-Lapu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Lapu-Lapu

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $845 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Lapu-Lapu $845

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,195 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Lapu-Lapu $1,195

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,545 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Lapu-Lapu $1,545

Budapest costs about 91% more than Lapu-Lapu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Lapu-Lapu is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$2.95 ₱186

372.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$15.86 ₱998

286.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$3.90 ₱246

161.28%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.54 ₱160

28.35%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.58 ₱36.53

268.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.38 ₱23.93

368.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.29 ₱80.9

187.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.25 ₱142

67.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.76 ₱111

-34.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.42 ₱89.2

26.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.94 ₱59.5

164.89%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.04 ₱129

91.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$5.68 ₱358

95.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.45 ₱280

48.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$7.71 ₱486

90.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.36 ₱211

-45.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.45 ₱91.5

41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.37 ₱149

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.54 ₱97.1

153.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.39 ₱151

-58.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.98 ₱125

-49.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.19 ₱75.2

32.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.68 ₱42.80

-1.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$1.62 ₱102

391.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$4.07 ₱256

52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.05 ₱65.9

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.51 ₱95.2

34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.25 ₱15.81

508.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.74 ₱46.77

347.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.23 ₱14.51

495.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.90 ₱246

408.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.33 ₱83.4

36.84%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

38.40%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

72.94%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$120 ₱7,559

42.52%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$13.99 ₱881

68.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$28.04 ₱1,765

-16.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$12.62 ₱795

435.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.60 ₱353

66.07%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$103 ₱6,509

415.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,848 ₱494.1K

113.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$47.78 ₱3,008

108.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$25.45 ₱1,603

70.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$23.86 ₱1,502

362.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$58.5 ₱3,683

103.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$437 ₱27.5K

89.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$317 ₱19.9K

96.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,214 ₱76.4K

31.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$473 ₱29.8K

147.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$229 ₱14.4K

621.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.2

-10.42%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Lapu-Lapu

$317 37.5% 49.1% $305

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Lapu-Lapu

$189 22.4% 26.6% $69

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Lapu-Lapu

$81 9.5% 63.9% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Lapu-Lapu

$162 19.2% 25.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Lapu-Lapu

$70 8.3% 58.2% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Lapu-Lapu

$24 2.8% 72.3% $62

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Lapu-Lapu

$2.9 * 0.3% 93.4% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $437 in Lapu-Lapu. 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 622% 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 $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $189 – making Lapu-Lapu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇭 Lapu-Lapu

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

497,604

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Lapu-Lapu 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Lapu-Lapu

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 Lapu-Lapu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 91%, 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 $1,268 in Lapu-Lapu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lapu-Lapu, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Lapu-Lapu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lapu-Lapu – 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 Lapu-Lapu. 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.