Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $485 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Mashhad

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $485 in Mashhad, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Mashhad $485

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $770 in Mashhad, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Mashhad $770

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,055 in Mashhad, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Mashhad $1,055

Budapest costs about 234% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Mashhad is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$3.03 $3.03

361.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$18.20 $18.20

231.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$4.89 $4.89

103.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$1.09 $1.09

210.09%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.43 $0.43

395.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.26 $0.26

619.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$0.62 $0.62

82.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.19 $0.19

868.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.03 $2.03

17.73%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$1.10 $1.10

248.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$2.16 $2.16

424.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$2.77 $2.77

143.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$10.45 $10.45

40.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$0.96 $0.96

91.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.51 $1.51

33.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$0.78 $0.78

202.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$0.57 $0.57

561.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.53 $0.53

81.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.47 $0.47

119.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.48 $0.48

225.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.29 $0.29

127.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.88 $0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$3.03 $3.03

162.71%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.02 $0.02

7400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$3.72 $3.72

642.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.19 $0.19

1636.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.49 $0.49

165.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$1.96 $1.96

909.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.82 $0.82

120.73%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$60.2K $60.2K

-51.29%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$66.2K $66.2K

-48.45%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$13.58 $13.58

1151.40%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$2.67 $2.67

798.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$27.42 $27.42

-14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$19.38 $19.38

241.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$14.98 $14.98

28.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$2.03 $2.03

368.97%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$40.02 $40.02

1241.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$622 $622

2567.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$19.92 $19.92

408.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$38.69 $38.69

11.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$93.5 $93.5

20.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$68.6 $68.6

73.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$213 $213

277.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$148 $148

325.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$400 $400

287.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$272 $272

328.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,125 $1,125

399.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$689 $689

475.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$252 $252

543.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

21.5

-70.09%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Mashhad

$148 31.1% 76.5% $481

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Mashhad

$100 21% 61.2% $158

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Mashhad

$55 11.5% 75.6% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Mashhad

$44 9.2% 79.9% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Mashhad

$99 20.9% 41.3% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 72.5% $62

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4% 85.2% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $213 in Mashhad. 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 544% 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 $18.00 in Mashhad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $100 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,001,184

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Mashhad 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 234%, 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 $727 in Mashhad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 642% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $40.02 in Mashhad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mashhad, where all-in costs run around $485, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mashhad – 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 Mashhad. 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.