Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Livingstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $198 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Livingstone

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $198 in Livingstone, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Livingstone $198

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $366 in Livingstone, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Livingstone $366

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $533 in Livingstone, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Livingstone $533

Budapest costs about 730% more than Livingstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Livingstone is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,407

$7.38 ZMW 150

84.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

$30.19 ZMW 612

100.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,239

$8.68 ZMW 176

15.44%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,075

$4.97 ZMW 101

-33.00%

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

$2.12 Ft 684

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 581

$0.37 ZMW 7.44

386.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,166

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,160

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 361

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 623

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,275

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,646

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,177

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,670

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 601

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 658

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 740

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,290

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 304

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 330

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 534

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 221

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,526

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,946

$19.93 ZMW 404

-69.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 418

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 655

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 484

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,085

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$2.48 ZMW 50.3

-44.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,451

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 603

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

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

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

$178 Ft 57.6K

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

$23.58 Ft 7,623

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,797

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,505

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,388

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

$625 Ft 202.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 273.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Livingstone: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Livingstone

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Livingstone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Livingstone

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Livingstone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Livingstone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Livingstone

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Livingstone

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $30 in Livingstone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $40 – making Livingstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

136,897

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.93 USD

100 ZMW = 4.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 20.27 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.93 USD). 1 EUR = 22.75 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.39 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Livingstone 7,300 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Livingstone

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 Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 730%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $298 in Livingstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 552% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest and $30 in Livingstone. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Livingstone, where all-in costs run around $198, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Livingstone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $198 in Livingstone to $1,647 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.