Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,730 per month in Budapest vs $2,268 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,693 per month in Budapest vs $3,348 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,657 per month in Budapest vs $4,429 in Lisbon, rent included.

Budapest is about 24% cheaper than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Budapest and Lisbon sit above the global median – Budapest by 25%, Lisbon by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.32 Ft 4,486

$17.55 €15.12

-18.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 Ft 19.8K

$64.5 €55.6

-1.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 Ft 3,515

$11.65 €10.04

-3.69%

Cappuccino

$3.42 Ft 1,070

$3.26 €2.81

4.91%

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

$2.17 Ft 680

$2.49 €2.15

-12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 Ft 626

$1.67 €1.44

19.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 Ft 1,222

$3.47 €2.99

12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 Ft 1,193

$3.58 €3.08

6.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Ft 383

$1.18 €1.02

3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 Ft 624

$1.95 €1.68

2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 Ft 794

$1.56 €1.35

62.82%

Eggs

$4.22 Ft 1,320

$4.01 €3.46

5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.13 Ft 3,800

$13.27 €11.44

-8.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 Ft 2,211

$8.42 €7.26

-16.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.32 Ft 4,799

$18.23 €15.72

-15.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 Ft 636

$2.32 €2.00

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 695

$1.73 €1.49

28.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 Ft 765

$1.93 €1.67

26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 Ft 1,268

$2.64 €2.27

53.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 323

$1.90 €1.64

-45.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 Ft 330

$2.11 €1.82

-50.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 Ft 533

$1.44 €1.24

18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 Ft 205

$0.80 €0.69

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 Ft 2,619

$7.01 €6.04

19.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 Ft 1,994

$5.92 €5.11

7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 Ft 421

$1.36 €1.18

-0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 Ft 695

$2.15 €1.85

3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 Ft 514

$2.38 €2.05

-31.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.37 Ft 9,201

$46.22 €39.85

-36.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 Ft 1,078

$4.19 €3.61

-17.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 Ft 448

$1.10 €0.95

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.27 Ft 6,664

$17.26 €14.88

23.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 605

$2.25 €1.94

-14.22%

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

$32.0K Ft 10.0M

$34.5K €29.7K

-7.27%

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

$35.3K Ft 11.1M

$41.6K €35.9K

-15.19%

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

$174 Ft 54.6K

$171 €147

2.08%

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

$25.65 Ft 8,036

$19.01 €16.38

34.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 Ft 7,700

$34.28 €29.55

-28.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 Ft 22.3K

$49.65 €42.80

43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.93 Ft 6,243

$19.51 €16.81

2.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,188

$10.10 €8.71

0.79%

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

$563 Ft 176.4K

$699 €603

-19.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K Ft 5.4M

$17.8K €15.3K

-2.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 Ft 34.3K

$105 €90.2

4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.47 Ft 14.2K

$47.97 €41.35

-5.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Ft 37.2K

$102 €87.8

16.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 Ft 39.1K

$128 €111

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 Ft 265.1K

$1,661 €1,432

-49.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Ft 206.2K

$1,228 €1,059

-46.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 Ft 524.0K

$2,915 €2,513

-42.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 Ft 404.8K

$2,023 €1,744

-36.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,932 Ft 1.9M

$8,129 €7,007

-27.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,104 Ft 1.3M

$4,635 €3,996

-11.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 Ft 543.0K

$1,619 €1,396

7.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

3.78

73.54%

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

Last update for Budapest: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Budapest versus $1,661 in Lisbon. 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 7% higher in Budapest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Budapest versus $64.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $281 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,594 per month in Budapest and $3,402 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 57% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Budapest and $699 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,730, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.