Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lazaro Cardenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas: $1,141 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Lazaro Cardenas
Learn more

Lazaro Cardenas Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Lazaro Cardenas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Lazaro Cardenas

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,141 in Lazaro Cardenas, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Lazaro Cardenas $1,141

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,839 in Lazaro Cardenas, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Lazaro Cardenas $1,839

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,537 in Lazaro Cardenas, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Lazaro Cardenas $2,537

Budapest costs about 44% more than Lazaro Cardenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Lazaro Cardenas is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,582

$10.83 MX$203

29.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.9K

$43.66 MX$817

39.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,385

$8.70 MX$163

19.20%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,129

$3.61 MX$67.6

-4.16%

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

$2.07 Ft 676

$1.42 MX$26.59

45.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 578

$1.03 MX$19.24

71.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,203

$2.51 MX$46.92

47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,241

$3.99 MX$74.7

-4.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 378

$1.66 MX$31.06

-30.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 604

$2.53 MX$47.41

-26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 784

$1.67 MX$31.19

43.71%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,302

$2.43 MX$45.51

64.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,721

$8.19 MX$153

39.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,243

$8.49 MX$159

-19.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,730

$11.33 MX$212

27.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 613

$2.67 MX$49.98

-29.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 700

$1.59 MX$29.74

34.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 752

$1.90 MX$35.65

21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,317

$1.83 MX$34.27

120.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 333

$1.93 MX$36.05

-47.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 323

$1.80 MX$33.61

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 515

$1.48 MX$27.75

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 227

$1.08 MX$20.23

-35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,620

$4.32 MX$80.8

85.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 2,017

$10.32 MX$193

-40.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 405

$1.76 MX$32.88

-29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 673

$3.20 MX$59.8

-35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 518

$0.69 MX$12.92

130.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,983

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,121

$2.53 MX$47.26

35.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 435

$1.92 MX$35.92

-30.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,674

$11.01 MX$206

85.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 631

$1.48 MX$27.62

30.41%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.5M

$21.1K MX$395.7K

37.82%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.3M

$23.8K MX$445.7K

45.85%

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

$175 Ft 57.0K

$58.7 MX$1,099

197.33%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,708

$22.31 MX$417

5.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,702

$29.94 MX$560

-21.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.5K

$34.30 MX$642

100.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,287

$20.49 MX$384

-6.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,366

$5.11 MX$95.7

101.76%

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

$535 Ft 174.7K

$221 MX$4,141

141.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$4,553 MX$85.2K

269.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.6K

$55.3 MX$1,035

80.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.1K

$39.96 MX$748

8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.5K

$99.7 MX$1,867

12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.8K

$90.1 MX$1,687

32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 271.5K

$602 MX$11.3K

38.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 205.3K

$393 MX$7,352

60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 517.6K

$1,055 MX$19.8K

50.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 390.5K

$780 MX$14.6K

53.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.9M

$1,921 MX$36.0K

197.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,169 MX$21.9K

237.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 558.7K

$552 MX$10.3K

210.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.3

-42.92%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Lazaro Cardenas

$393 34.4% 37.6% $236

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Lazaro Cardenas

$263 23.1% 0.5% $1.3

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Lazaro Cardenas

$186 16.3% 17.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Lazaro Cardenas

$111 9.7% 50% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Lazaro Cardenas

$128 11.3% 23.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Lazaro Cardenas

$45 3.9% 50.2% $45

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Lazaro Cardenas

$15 * 1.3% 66.2% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $602 in Lazaro Cardenas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $44 in Lazaro Cardenas. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $263 in Lazaro Cardenas – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 Lazaro Cardenas

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

83,637

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD). 1 EUR = 366 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Lazaro Cardenas 10,680 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Lazaro Cardenas

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 Lazaro Cardenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,711 in Lazaro Cardenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $602 there versus $832 in Budapest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest and $44 in Lazaro Cardenas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $221 in Lazaro Cardenas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,641 in Budapest and $1,141 in Lazaro Cardenas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lazaro Cardenas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lazaro Cardenas. 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.