Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lucena

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $646 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
Learn more

Lucena Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Lucena

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $646 in Lucena, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Lucena $646

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,041 in Lucena, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Lucena $1,041

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,436 in Lucena, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Lucena $1,436

Budapest costs about 151% more than Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Lucena is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$1.50 ₱94.4

829.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$18.91 ₱1,191

223.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$1.72 ₱108

492.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.32 ₱83.2

146.97%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.33 ₱20.88

548.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.29 ₱18.26

513.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.38 ₱86.7

168.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.28 ₱80.9

194.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.66 ₱105

-30.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.17 ₱73.4

52.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.92 ₱57.6

170.65%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.75 ₱110

122.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.82 ₱429

62.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.21 ₱265

57.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$7.13 ₱449

106.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$4.04 ₱254

-54.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.37 ₱86.0

49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$3.58 ₱225

-33.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.17 ₱73.5

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.27 ₱143

-56.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$3.30 ₱208

-69.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.42 ₱89.6

11.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.91 ₱57.0

-26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.74 ₱173

190.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.74 ₱487

-19.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.34 ₱84.6

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.76 ₱111

15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.24 ₱14.97

533.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$12.08 ₱761

131.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.81 ₱51.0

308.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.21 ₱13.19

552.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$2.54 ₱160

680.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.23 ₱77.6

47.97%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

39.88%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

80.23%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$47.89 ₱3,015

257.32%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$6.37 ₱401

269.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$11.06 ₱696

110.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$34.15 ₱2,150

97.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$4.02 ₱253

369.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.38 ₱465

26.02%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$71.9 ₱4,529

641.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,515 ₱158.3K

566.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$35.78 ₱2,253

178.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$22.69 ₱1,428

91.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$79.7 ₱5,020

38.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$74.4 ₱4,683

59.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$262 ₱16.5K

217.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$170 ₱10.7K

266.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$516 ₱32.5K

208.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$357 ₱22.5K

227.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,274 ₱143.2K

156.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$921 ₱58.0K

322.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$320 ₱20.2K

415.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-7.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lucena: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Lucena

$170 26.3% 72.7% $452

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Lucena

$206 31.9% 20.1% $52

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Lucena

$45 7% 79.8% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Lucena

$65 10.1% 70% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Lucena

$96 14.8% 42.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Lucena

$49 7.6% 43.2% $37

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Lucena

$15 2.3% 66.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $262 in Lucena. 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 416% 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 $19.00 in Lucena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $206 – making Lucena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇭 Lucena

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

278,924

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Lucena 9,790 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Lucena

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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 151%, 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 $968 in Lucena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 132% less in Lucena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $71.9 in Lucena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lucena, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Lucena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lucena – 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 Lucena. 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.