Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Mahdia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahdia: $557 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Mahdia
Learn more

Mahdia Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Mahdia

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Mahdia

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $557 in Mahdia, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Mahdia $557

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $881 in Mahdia, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Mahdia $881

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,206 in Mahdia, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Mahdia $1,206

Budapest costs about 191% more than Mahdia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Mahdia is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$2.48 TND 7.44

462.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$20.01 TND 59.9

205.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.84 TND 14.49

110.54%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$0.96 TND 2.89

239.58%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.57 TND 1.72

275.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.19 TND 0.56

836.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.03 TND 3.07

260.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.51 TND 4.52

149.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.43 TND 1.30

167.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.26 TND 0.78

588.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.38 TND 4.13

80.43%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.53 TND 4.58

154.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$11.75 TND 35.19

-5.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.96 TND 14.87

33.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$14.46 TND 43.29

1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.86 TND 8.56

-36.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.86 TND 8.55

-28.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.44 TND 4.32

64.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.72 TND 2.15

441.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.65 TND 1.94

52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.34 TND 1.03

194.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.43 TND 1.29

267.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.31 TND 0.94

116.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.53 TND 10.56

125.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$3.35 TND 10.04

85.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.63 TND 4.88

-22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.25 TND 3.75

62.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.32 TND 0.95

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$13.33 TND 39.92

110.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.31 TND 0.93

967.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.26 TND 0.77

426.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.88 TND 2.64

106.82%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$40.9K TND 122.5K

-27.12%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$40.1K TND 120.0K

-15.63%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$56.3 TND 169

203.78%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.15 TND 21.41

228.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$20.10 TND 60.2

15.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$20.52 TND 61.5

229.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$7.69 TND 23.03

145.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.80 TND 20.36

36.76%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$109 TND 326

389.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$985 TND 2,951

1600.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$37.98 TND 114

162.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$32.80 TND 98.2

32.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$76.9 TND 230

43.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$23.51 TND 70.4

406.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$130 TND 390

537.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$100 TND 301

519.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$292 TND 875

445.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$175 TND 523

569.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$675 TND 2,022

764.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$201 TND 602

1835.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$232 TND 695

611.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

10.33

-37.56%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Mahdia

$100 18% 83.9% $522

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Mahdia

$188 33.8% 27% $70

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Mahdia

$57 10.3% 74.4% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Mahdia

$84 15% 61.6% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Mahdia

$77 13.8% 54% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Mahdia

$34 6.1% 60.4% $52

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Mahdia

$16 2.9% 63.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $130 in Mahdia. 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 612% 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 $20.00 in Mahdia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $188 – making Mahdia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇳 Mahdia

🕒 Local time

18:58 6:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

79,545

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Mahdia 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Mahdia

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 Mahdia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 191%, 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 $835 in Mahdia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 110% less in Mahdia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $109 in Mahdia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahdia, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Mahdia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahdia – 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 Mahdia. 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.