Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
Learn more

Lome Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Lome

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $557 in Lome, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Lome $557

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $980 in Lome, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Lome $980

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,404 in Lome, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Lome $1,404

Budapest costs about 191% more than Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Lome is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

375.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

97.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

76.60%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

-40.18%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

-49.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.70 F CFA 407

167.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$0.96 F CFA 560

290.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

105.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

-49.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.36 F CFA 795

35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.49 F CFA 872

60.40%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

87.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

157.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

-36.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.67 F CFA 976

20.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

47.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

-45.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.18 F CFA 692

-12.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.83 F CFA 487

-20.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

23.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.09 F CFA 640

19.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.40 F CFA 820

48.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.22 F CFA 714

6.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

366.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.23 F CFA 720

47.15%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$146 F CFA 85.6K

16.21%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

12.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

-44.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

118.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

125.59%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$294 F CFA 172.2K

296.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$295 F CFA 172.7K

450.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Lome

$140 * 25% 45.7% $118

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Lome

$136 24.3% 39.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Lome

$210 37.4% 3.5% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Lome

$69 12.3% 19.2% $16

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1% 86% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 451% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $31.00 in Lome. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $140 – making Lome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

2 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Lome 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 191%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $836 in Lome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $31.00 in Lome. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lome, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Lome it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lome – 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 Lome. 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.