Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Los Cabos

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Cabos: $1,371 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
Learn more

Los Cabos Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Los Cabos

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,371 in Los Cabos, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Los Cabos $1,371

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,211 in Los Cabos, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Los Cabos $2,211

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $3,051 in Los Cabos, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Los Cabos $3,051

Budapest costs about 18% more than Los Cabos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Los Cabos sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Los Cabos by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$22.30 MX$412

-37.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$43.70 MX$807

40.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$13.76 MX$254

-25.94%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$5.22 MX$96.5

-37.55%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.30 MX$42.51

-6.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$2.06 MX$38.06

-13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$4.99 MX$92.2

-25.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$8.36 MX$154

-54.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.65 MX$30.46

-30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.86 MX$52.8

-37.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.38 MX$44.07

4.62%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.41 MX$44.49

61.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.96 MX$166

23.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$9.56 MX$177

-30.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$17.76 MX$328

-17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$4.13 MX$76.4

-55.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.78 MX$32.89

15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.93 MX$54.2

-19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.53 MX$46.70

54.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.34 MX$43.16

-57.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.53 MX$46.73

-60.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.24 MX$22.99

27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.86 MX$15.94

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.52 MX$83.6

76.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$10.32 MX$191

-39.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.61 MX$29.70

-21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.13 MX$57.8

-35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.41 MX$25.98

7.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.66 MX$49.20

24.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.93 MX$35.59

-29.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$11.63 MX$215

70.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.38 MX$25.43

31.88%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.0K MX$388.2K

41.86%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.3K MX$449.9K

38.87%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$58.6 MX$1,083

192.06%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$27.70 MX$512

-15.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$24.59 MX$454

-5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$34.48 MX$637

95.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$20.05 MX$371

-5.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.28 MX$79.1

117.29%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$215 MX$3,971

148.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,652 MX$86.0K

260.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$93.3 MX$1,724

6.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$40.63 MX$751

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$124 MX$2,298

-11.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$89.7 MX$1,657

32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$612 MX$11.3K

35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$391 MX$7,226

59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,044 MX$19.3K

52.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$781 MX$14.4K

49.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,933 MX$35.7K

201.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,131 MX$20.9K

243.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$811 MX$15.0K

103.71%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Los Cabos

$391 28.5% 37.1% $231

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Los Cabos

$310 22.6% 20.3% $52

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Los Cabos

$341 24.9% 53.1% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Los Cabos

$111 8.1% 49.1% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Los Cabos

$157 11.4% 6.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Los Cabos

$43 3.1% 50% $43

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Los Cabos

$18 * 1.3% 59.5% $26

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 $612 in Los Cabos. 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 104% 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 $44.00 in Los Cabos. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $310 in Los Cabos – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

07:55 7:55 AM

9 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

202,694

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Los Cabos 10,670 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,057 in Los Cabos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $44.00 in Los Cabos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Cabos, where all-in costs run around $1,371, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Los Cabos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Los Cabos – 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 Los Cabos. 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.