Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Maldonado

For one person, living is cheaper in Maldonado: $1,371 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Maldonado

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,371 in Maldonado, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Maldonado $1,371

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,178 in Maldonado, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Maldonado $2,178

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,985 in Maldonado, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Maldonado $2,985

Budapest costs about 18% more than Maldonado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Maldonado sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Maldonado by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$14.94 UYU 600

-6.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$54.8 UYU 2,198

11.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$13.58 UYU 545

-24.96%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$4.61 UYU 185

-29.28%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.64 UYU 106

-18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$2.00 UYU 80.3

-11.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.96 UYU 119

25.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.61 UYU 145

4.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.16 UYU 46.70

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.74 UYU 110

-34.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.69 UYU 68.0

47.34%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$4.14 UYU 166

-5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$14.00 UYU 562

-20.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$11.83 UYU 475

-44.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$11.89 UYU 477

23.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.78 UYU 112

-34.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.15 UYU 86.4

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.77 UYU 71.1

33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.20 UYU 129

21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.02 UYU 81.0

-50.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.09 UYU 84.1

-52.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.44 UYU 57.8

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.87 UYU 75.2

-64.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.56 UYU 223

43.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.99 UYU 320

-22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.32 UYU 93.1

-45.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.71 UYU 109

-25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.42 UYU 57.0

7.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$50.1 UYU 2,011

-44.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.39 UYU 136

-2.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.41 UYU 16.27

234.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$9.89 UYU 397

100.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$2.14 UYU 85.8

-14.95%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

11.00%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$37.3K UYU 1.5M

-9.23%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$113 UYU 4,548

51.01%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$19.05 UYU 765

23.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$44.11 UYU 1,770

-47.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$48.11 UYU 1,931

40.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$30.02 UYU 1,205

-37.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$12.36 UYU 496

-24.76%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$488 UYU 19.6K

9.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,539 UYU 262.4K

156.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$90.5 UYU 3,632

10.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$36.90 UYU 1,481

17.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$123 UYU 4,931

-10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$120 UYU 4,796

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$423 UYU 17.0K

96.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$318 UYU 12.8K

95.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$920 UYU 36.9K

73.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$590 UYU 23.7K

98.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,838 UYU 113.9K

105.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,546 UYU 62.0K

151.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,005 UYU 40.4K

64.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

29.00%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Maldonado

$318 23.2% 48.9% $304

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Maldonado

$321 23.4% 24.3% $63

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Maldonado

$256 18.7% 14.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Maldonado

$176 12.9% 19% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Maldonado

$166 12.1% 0.7% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Maldonado

$73 5.3% 15.4% $13

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Maldonado

$61 4.5% 38.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $423 in Maldonado. 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 64% 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 $55.0 in Maldonado. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $321 in Maldonado – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

00:59 12:59 AM

5 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

62,592

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Maldonado 11,740 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,057 in Maldonado. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 79% less in Maldonado. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $488 in Maldonado. 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 Maldonado, where all-in costs run around $1,371, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Maldonado it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maldonado – 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 Maldonado. 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.