Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Latakia

For one person, living is cheaper in Latakia: $477 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Latakia
🇸🇾 Syria
$477
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Latakia

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $477 in Latakia, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Latakia $477

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $789 in Latakia, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Latakia $789

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,100 in Latakia, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Latakia $1,100

Budapest costs about 239% more than Latakia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Latakia is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$5.14 SYP 625
171.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$29.86 SYP 3,628
105.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$5.58 SYP 678
82.62%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$1.03 SYP 125
216.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$0.95 SYP 115
125.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.85 SYP 103
109.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$0.99 SYP 120
274.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$2.93 SYP 356
28.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$0.86 SYP 105
33.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$0.38 SYP 46.56
371.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.16 SYP 141
114.66%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$1.45 SYP 177
168.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$3.88 SYP 472
186.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$5.08 SYP 617
30.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$14.03 SYP 1,705
4.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$0.86 SYP 105
112.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.13 SYP 137
81.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$0.69 SYP 83.5
243.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$0.65 SYP 78.8
500.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.68 SYP 82.6
45.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$0.73 SYP 88.9
36.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$0.43 SYP 52.5
267.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.65 SYP 79.0
3.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$2.71 SYP 329
193.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$3.94 SYP 479
57.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.28 SYP 156
-0.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.40 SYP 291
-15.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.07 SYP 7.97
2071.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$1.02 SYP 125
224.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.59 SYP 71.3
132.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$5.14 SYP 625
285.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.10 SYP 133
65.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$14.8K SYP 1.8M
101.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$19.3K SYP 2.3M
75.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$68.0 SYP 8,262
151.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$7.32 SYP 889
221.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$34.60 SYP 4,205
-32.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$14.03 SYP 1,705
381.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$9.75 SYP 1,184
93.74%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$1.17 SYP 142
694.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$40.70 SYP 4,946
1210.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$1,481 SYP 180.0K
1031.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$26.24 SYP 3,189
279.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$19.73 SYP 2,397
120.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$40.64 SYP 4,939
171.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$40.09 SYP 4,872
196.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$90.3 SYP 11.0K
820.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$50.5 SYP 6,134
1132.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$251 SYP 30.5K
535.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$124 SYP 15.1K
842.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$700 SYP 85.0K
733.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$246 SYP 29.9K
1479.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Latakia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$57.9 SYP 7,037
2751.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
14.25
-54.74%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Latakia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Latakia
$50 91.9% $571
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Latakia
$151 41.4% $107
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Latakia
$88 60.4% $135
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Latakia
$110 49.6% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Latakia
$57 66% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Latakia
$16 81% $70
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Latakia
$4.2 * 90.5% $40

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 $90.3 in Latakia. 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 2751% 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 $30.00 in Latakia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $151 – making Latakia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇸🇾 Latakia
🕒 Local time
19:17 7:17 PM
20:17 8:17 PM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
383,786
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Latakia 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Latakia

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 Latakia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Latakia cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 239%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $716 in Latakia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Latakia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Latakia?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $30.00 in Latakia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Latakia?
Groceries cost about 71% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Latakia?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Latakia, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Latakia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Latakia more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Latakia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Latakia?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Latakia. 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.

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