Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Maia

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,182 in Maia, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Maia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Maia
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Maia Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Maia

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Maia

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $2,182 in Maia, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Maia $2,182

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,718 in Maia, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Maia $2,718

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $3,254 in Maia, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Maia $3,254

Budapest is about 25% cheaper than Maia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Maia sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Maia by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$11.42 €10.16

22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$50.0 €44.49

21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$8.88 €7.90

16.78%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$2.00 €1.78

73.00%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.93 €1.71

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.45 €1.29

22.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.23 €1.98

65.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$4.01 €3.57

-5.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.10 €0.98

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.69 €1.50

9.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.53 €1.37

56.86%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.89 €2.57

38.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$13.29 €11.82

-14.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$7.93 €7.05

-13.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$14.73 €13.10

-1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$2.23 €1.98

-15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.74 €1.55

22.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$2.07 €1.84

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$2.33 €2.07

73.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$2.22 €1.97

-54.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.19 €1.95

-54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.93 €0.82

69.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$1.10 €0.98

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$6.62 €5.89

21.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$4.61 €4.10

34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.31 €1.17

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$2.46 €2.19

-16.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$2.47 €2.20

-35.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$44.74 €39.80

-38.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$4.55 €4.04

-24.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.44 €1.28

-7.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$16.93 €15.06

20.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$2.10 €1.87

-8.10%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$32.3K €28.7K

-9.67%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$38.5K €34.2K

-9.74%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$106 €94.3

64.63%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$20.07 €17.85

17.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$38.05 €33.84

-37.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$44.89 €39.93

53.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$34.01 €30.25

-43.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$8.65 €7.70

19.19%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$439 €390

21.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,437 €5,726

161.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$111 €98.9

-10.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$22.04 €19.60

96.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$75.9 €67.5

47.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$106 €94.0

12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$1,072 €953

-22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$1,313 €1,168

-52.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,706 €1,518

-7.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$1,242 €1,105

-3.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$3,036 €2,701

88.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,673 €1,488

135.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$1,420 €1,263

20.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.7

74.32%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Maia: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Maia

$1.3K 60.2% 109% $684

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Maia

$259 11.9% 0.9% $2.3

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Maia

$175 8% 22.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Maia

$164 7.5% 26% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Maia

$142 6.5% 15.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Maia

$62 2.9% 30.5% $27

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Maia

$66 3% 50.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $1,072 in Maia. 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 21% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $50.0 in Maia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $259 – making Maia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇹 Maia

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

22:54 10:54 PM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

134,988

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Maia 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Maia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Maia is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $3,273 in Maia. 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 63% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $439 in Maia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Maia at $2,182. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maia 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, Maia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.