Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $931 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Manila

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $931 in Manila, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Manila $931

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,519 in Manila, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Manila $1,519

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,106 in Manila, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Manila $2,106

Budapest costs about 74% more than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Manila is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$5.61 ₱352

149.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$27.39 ₱1,718

120.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$3.95 ₱248

152.15%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.56 ₱161

32.03%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.42 ₱89.1

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.81 ₱50.9

130.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.17 ₱73.2

220.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$2.36 ₱148

51.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.94 ₱122

-41.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.40 ₱88.0

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.02 ₱64.2

134.31%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.29 ₱144

67.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$7.86 ₱493

44.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.89 ₱307

37.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$6.77 ₱425

116.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$3.38 ₱212

-45.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.85 ₱116

8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.96 ₱186

-20.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.79 ₱112

110.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.24 ₱140

-57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.69 ₱168

-61.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$2.20 ₱138

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.59 ₱37.25

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$3.13 ₱196

154.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$9.42 ₱591

-36.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.33 ₱83.3

-2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.00 ₱125

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.47 ₱29.46

219.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$12.58 ₱789

119.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.78 ₱48.77

323.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.23 ₱14.43

465.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$1.94 ₱122

919.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.33 ₱83.5

36.09%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

37.44%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

73.26%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$121 ₱7,614

39.98%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$16.04 ₱1,006

49.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$24.25 ₱1,521

-3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$43.44 ₱2,724

52.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$5.90 ₱370

225.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.63 ₱416

43.59%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$613 ₱38.4K

-12.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$8,953 ₱561.6K

85.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$58.2 ₱3,647

74.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$27.18 ₱1,704

58.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$77.5 ₱4,862

45.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$57.0 ₱3,574

108.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$534 ₱33.5K

50.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$287 ₱18.0K

119.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,916 ₱120.2K

-19.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$677 ₱42.5K

72.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$4,439 ₱278.4K

26.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,556 ₱160.3K

55.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$485 ₱30.4K

234.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.43

-13.46%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Manila

$287 30.2% 54.4% $342

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Manila

$221 23.3% 14.1% $36

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Manila

$107 11.3% 52.3% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Manila

$162 17% 25.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Manila

$99 10.4% 41.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Manila

$57 6% 33.5% $29

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Manila

$16 1.7% 62.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $534 in Manila. 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 235% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $221 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

03:53 3:53 AM

09:53 9:53 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Manila 9,690 km ≈ 13 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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,396 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 119% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $613 in Manila. 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 Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manila – 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 Manila. 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.