Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Mahé

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,799 in Mahé, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Mahé

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,799 in Mahé, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Mahé $1,799

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,618 in Mahé, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Mahé $2,618

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,438 in Mahé, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Mahé $3,438

Budapest is about 10% cheaper than Mahé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Mahé sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Mahé by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$17.55 SCR 254

-20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$108 SCR 1,564

-44.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$5.66 SCR 82.0

75.97%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-48.71%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.62 SCR 23.47

31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$12.68 SCR 184

-70.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$9.10 SCR 132

-60.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.58 SCR 22.84

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.09 SCR 15.83

68.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.84 SCR 26.66

29.89%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$4.29 SCR 62.1

-10.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$15.89 SCR 230

-28.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$8.28 SCR 120

-18.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$12.96 SCR 188

13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.07 SCR 29.93

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.42 SCR 35.04

-2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.06 SCR 15.33

-9.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.05 SCR 15.23

-1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.09 SCR 15.81

43.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$14.50 SCR 210

-45.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.19 SCR 31.75

-5.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.76 SCR 11.03

97.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$35.50 SCR 514

-22.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$14.40 SCR 209

37.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.48 SCR 21.40

22.30%

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

$49.22 SCR 713

245.27%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$21.81 SCR 316

9.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$105 SCR 1,523

-77.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$52.9 SCR 766

25.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.26 SCR 90.6

52.08%

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

$29.88 SCR 433

239.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$11.99 SCR 174

258.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$47.18 SCR 683

138.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$58.8 SCR 851

102.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$871 SCR 12.6K

-7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$842 SCR 12.2K

-25.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,772 SCR 25.7K

-12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,058 SCR 15.3K

10.33%

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

$855 SCR 12.4K

90.10%

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 Mahé: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Mahé

$842 47.9% 33.8% $213

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Mahé

$246 * 14% 4.5% $12

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Mahé

$324 * 18.5% 44.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Mahé

$176 10% 18.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Mahé

$67 3.8% 60.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Mahé

$65 3.7% 23.3% $20

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Mahé

$39 * 2.2% 11.2% $4.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $871 in Mahé. 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 90% higher in Budapest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $108 in Mahé. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $246 in Mahé – so Mahé wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇨 Mahé

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

15:59 3:59 PM

2 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

78,539

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, 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).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.23 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Mahé 6,810 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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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 Mahé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mahé is pricier by about 11%, 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 $2,698 in Mahé. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 29% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Mahé – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Mahé at $1,799. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mahé it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mahé makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.