Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $359 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $359 in Manzini, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Manzini $359

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $383 in Manzini, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Manzini $383

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $406 in Manzini, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Manzini $406

Budapest costs about 359% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Manzini is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,407

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,239

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,075

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

$2.12 Ft 684

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 581

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,166

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,160

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 361

$1.27 SZL 20.72

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 623

$0.89 SZL 14.55

116.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.75 SZL 28.66

42.29%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,275

$1.17 SZL 19.12

236.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,646

$7.14 SZL 117

57.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,177

$2.96 SZL 48.52

127.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,670

$1.77 SZL 28.92

715.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 601

$1.37 SZL 22.45

35.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 658

$0.63 SZL 10.29

223.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 740

$0.76 SZL 12.46

201.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,290

$0.49 SZL 8.04

714.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 304

$0.61 SZL 10.01

54.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 330

$0.46 SZL 7.58

121.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 534

$0.40 SZL 6.58

312.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 221

$0.63 SZL 10.30

7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,526

$2.96 SZL 48.48

163.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,946

$3.32 SZL 54.4

81.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 418

$0.58 SZL 9.49

122.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 655

$0.79 SZL 12.94

155.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 484

$0.62 SZL 10.12

141.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,085

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,451

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 603

$1.33 SZL 21.82

39.85%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

$16.7K SZL 272.8K

71.07%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$15.6K SZL 254.9K

114.38%

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

$178 Ft 57.6K

$72.2 SZL 1,182

146.81%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,623

$12.21 SZL 200

93.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,797

$29.64 SZL 485

-18.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,505

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,388

$3.65 SZL 59.8

187.12%

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

$625 Ft 202.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 273.3K

$177 SZL 2,900

377.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.4K

$121 SZL 1,986

426.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

$482 SZL 7,883

258.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

-36.60%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Manzini: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $177 in Manzini. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 3.6 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

23:02 11:02 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

110,508

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR

100 SZL = 6.11 USD

100 SZL = 5.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.37 SZL (100 SZL = 6.11 USD). 1 EUR = 18.38 SZL (100 SZL = 5.44 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Manzini 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Budapest
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 359%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $539 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,647 in Budapest and $359 in Manzini. That makes Manzini about 78% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 128% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $359 in Manzini to $1,647 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Manzini. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.