Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Leiria

For one person, living costs are similar in Budapest and in Leiria: $1,619 and $1,554 a month, rent and utilities included.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Leiria
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,554
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Leiria

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,554 in Leiria, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Leiria $1,554

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,293 in Leiria, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Leiria $2,293

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $3,031 in Leiria, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Leiria $3,031

Budapest costs about 4% more than Leiria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Leiria sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Leiria by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$12.78 €11.37
9.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$52.4 €46.60
16.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$9.07 €8.07
12.35%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$1.30 €1.16
150.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.75 €1.56
22.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$1.23 €1.10
44.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$2.76 €2.45
34.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$2.72 €2.42
38.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.06 €0.94
8.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$2.30 €2.05
-22.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.36 €1.21
83.09%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$2.59 €2.30
50.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$11.85 €10.54
-6.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$6.80 €6.05
-2.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$11.20 €9.96
31.16%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$1.76 €1.57
3.98%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.28 €1.14
60.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$1.39 €1.24
70.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$2.50 €2.22
56.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$1.25 €1.12
-20.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$1.70 €1.51
-41.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.60 €1.43
-1.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.20 €1.07
-44.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$6.42 €5.71
23.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$5.58 €4.96
11.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.30 €1.16
-2.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$1.44 €1.28
40.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$1.77 €1.58
-14.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$9.98 €8.88
180.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$4.45 €3.96
-25.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$2.15 €1.92
-15.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$34.1K €30.3K
-12.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$37.7K €33.5K
-10.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$129 €114
33.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$19.80 €17.61
18.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$44.58 €39.66
-47.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$35.99 €32.02
87.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$13.57 €12.07
39.20%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$8.75 €7.78
6.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$6,141 €5,462
172.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$76.6 €68.2
30.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$30.25 €26.91
43.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$106 €94.2
4.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$165 €146
-27.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$910 €810
-8.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$705 €627
-11.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$1,323 €1,177
20.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$1,107 €985
5.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$2,603 €2,315
124.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$1,843 €1,640
110.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Leiria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$1,359 €1,209
21.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
3.88
66.24%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Leiria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Leiria
$705 13.3% $83
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Leiria
$236 8.7% $22
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Leiria
$176 21% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Leiria
$193 11.5% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Leiria
$170 1.3% $2.2
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Leiria
$53 37.9% $33
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Leiria
$22 * 51.4% $23

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 $910 in Leiria. 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 21% 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 $52.0 in Leiria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $236 – making Leiria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇵🇹 Leiria
🕒 Local time
05:58 5:58 AM
04:58 4:58 AM
1 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
128,616
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Leiria 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Leiria

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 Leiria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Leiria cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 4%, 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 $2,331 in Leiria. 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 Leiria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 181% less in Leiria. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Leiria?
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.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Leiria?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Leiria, where all-in costs run around $1,554, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Leiria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Leiria more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Leiria – 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 Leiria?
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 Leiria. 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.

Budapest vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?