Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Madaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Madaba: $765 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Madaba
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Madaba Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Madaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Madaba

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $765 in Madaba, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Madaba $765

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,349 in Madaba, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Madaba $1,349

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,932 in Madaba, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Madaba $1,932

Budapest costs about 112% more than Madaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Madaba is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.54 JOD 3.92

151.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$49.14 JOD 34.79

24.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.44 JOD 4.56

58.23%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.56 JOD 2.52

-8.43%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.61 JOD 0.43

250.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.61 JOD 0.43

191.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$4.36 JOD 3.08

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$6.85 JOD 4.85

-44.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.39 JOD 0.99

-17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.66 JOD 0.47

171.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.57 JOD 1.11

58.60%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.72 JOD 1.22

126.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$4.32 JOD 3.06

156.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.56 JOD 3.94

19.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.75 JOD 9.02

15.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.66 JOD 1.88

-31.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.44 JOD 1.02

42.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.78 JOD 1.26

33.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.73 JOD 0.52

434.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.73 JOD 0.51

35.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.69 JOD 0.49

44.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.34 JOD 0.24

364.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.55 JOD 0.39

21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.13 JOD 1.51

273.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$20.90 JOD 14.80

-70.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$4.86 JOD 3.44

-73.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$5.03 JOD 3.56

-59.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.88 JOD 0.62

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$71.6 JOD 50.7

-60.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.58 JOD 0.41

470.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.39 JOD 0.98

-1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$7.16 JOD 5.07

176.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.43 JOD 1.02

27.27%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$35.4K JOD 25.1K

-15.92%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$34.9K JOD 24.7K

-3.12%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$69.2 JOD 49.02

147.14%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$13.83 JOD 9.79

69.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$20.89 JOD 14.79

11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$28.60 JOD 20.25

136.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$69.2 JOD 49.02

-72.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.25 JOD 7.97

-17.33%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$41.99 JOD 29.73

1170.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$9,676 JOD 6,851

73.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$63.2 JOD 44.72

57.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$57.0 JOD 40.32

-23.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$69.9 JOD 49.48

57.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$43.11 JOD 30.52

175.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$210 JOD 149

295.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$42.56 JOD 30.13

1361.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$419 JOD 297

280.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$210 JOD 149

457.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$495 JOD 351

233.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.81

-5.29%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Madaba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Madaba

$43 5.6% 93.2% $579

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Madaba

$233 30.5% 9.7% $25

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Madaba

$147 19.2% 34.2% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Madaba

$104 13.6% 52.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Madaba

$105 13.7% 37.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Madaba

$51 6.7% 40.7% $35

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Madaba

$83 10.8% 86.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $210 in Madaba. 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 233% 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 $49.00 in Madaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $233 – making Madaba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇴 Madaba

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

65,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, 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).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Madaba 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Madaba

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 Madaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 112%, 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 $1,147 in Madaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 156% less in Madaba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $41.99 in Madaba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Madaba, where all-in costs run around $765, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Madaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Madaba – 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 Madaba. 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.