Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Matosinhos

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,638 a month against $1,913 in Matosinhos, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Matosinhos outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Budapest, Hungary
Matosinhos, Portugal
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,638
/mo nomad
Matosinhos
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,913
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Matosinhos

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,913 in Matosinhos, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,638
  • Matosinhos $1,913

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $2,802 in Matosinhos, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,553
  • Matosinhos $2,802

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $3,691 in Matosinhos, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,467
  • Matosinhos $3,691

Budapest is about 14% cheaper than Matosinhos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Budapest and Matosinhos sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Matosinhos by 41%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.81 Ft 4,526
$13.36 €11.96
3.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.5 Ft 20.1K
$48.26 €43.22
27.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.16 Ft 3,329
$9.92 €8.89
2.42%
Cappuccino
$3.22 Ft 1,056
$2.69 €2.41
19.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 676
$2.00 €1.79
3.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 Ft 601
$1.52 €1.36
20.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.60 Ft 1,181
$2.19 €1.96
64.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 Ft 1,201
$3.45 €3.09
6.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 Ft 390
$1.09 €0.97
9.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 Ft 613
$1.68 €1.50
11.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 776
$1.69 €1.51
40.24%
Eggs
$3.96 Ft 1,298
$3.41 €3.06
16.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.16 Ft 3,659
$11.78 €10.55
-5.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.76 Ft 2,215
$7.04 €6.31
-3.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.35 Ft 4,704
$14.72 €13.18
-2.51%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 Ft 592
$2.21 €1.98
-18.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.11 Ft 691
$1.52 €1.36
38.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 Ft 765
$1.89 €1.69
23.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 Ft 1,247
$2.49 €2.23
52.61%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 325
$1.58 €1.41
-37.34%
Onion (1kg)
$0.98 Ft 322
$1.84 €1.65
-46.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 Ft 509
$1.60 €1.44
-3.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 228
$0.77 €0.69
-9.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.79 Ft 2,554
$6.25 €5.59
24.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 Ft 1,983
$5.44 €4.88
11.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 Ft 419
$1.36 €1.21
-5.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 Ft 668
$2.10 €1.88
-2.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 Ft 508
$2.76 €2.47
-43.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.28 Ft 8,943
$45.24 €40.51
-39.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 Ft 1,081
$4.32 €3.87
-23.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 Ft 430
$0.82 €0.73
59.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.26 Ft 6,640
$13.87 €12.43
46.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 596
$2.23 €2.00
-18.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.7K Ft 9.4M
$33.3K €29.8K
-13.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1K Ft 10.8M
$37.8K €33.9K
-12.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 Ft 56.4K
$164 €147
4.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.95 Ft 7,851
$22.58 €20.23
6.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.31 Ft 7,641
$32.82 €29.39
-28.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.6 Ft 22.5K
$62.5 €55.9
9.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.91 Ft 6,199
$21.39 €19.16
-11.59%
Cinema Ticket
$10.18 Ft 3,337
$9.06 €8.12
12.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$600 Ft 196.8K
$564 €505
6.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.5M
$10.5K €9,403
59.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.0 Ft 32.5K
$94.8 €84.9
4.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.25 Ft 14.2K
$37.05 €33.19
16.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 Ft 37.0K
$93.5 €83.8
20.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 Ft 38.4K
$106 €94.7
10.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$836 Ft 274.1K
$1,178 €1,055
-29.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$640 Ft 209.7K
$949 €850
-32.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 Ft 523.9K
$2,238 €2,005
-28.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 Ft 395.0K
$1,563 €1,400
-22.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,625 Ft 1.8M
$4,277 €3,830
31.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,802 Ft 1.2M
$3,731 €3,341
1.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Matosinhos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,671 Ft 547.9K
$1,563 €1,400
6.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
3.67
75.75%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Matosinhos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$640
Matosinhos
$949 48.3% $309
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Matosinhos
$249 3.7% $9.5
Eating Out
Budapest
$221
Matosinhos
$201 8.9% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$219
Matosinhos
$220 0.2% $0.4
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Matosinhos
$149 11% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Matosinhos
$81 9.4% $8.4
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Matosinhos
$65 49.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $1,178 in Matosinhos. 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 7% 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 in Budapest versus $48 in Matosinhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $249 – making Matosinhos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇵🇹 Matosinhos
🕒 Local time
02:02 2:02 AM
01:02 1:02 AM
1 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
172,586
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 328 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD). 1 EUR = 366 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Matosinhos 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Matosinhos

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 Matosinhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Matosinhos?
Yes – Matosinhos is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $2,869 in Matosinhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $836 there versus $1,178 in Matosinhos.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 40% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $564 in Matosinhos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough for either Budapest or Matosinhos?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,638 in Budapest and $1,913 in Matosinhos, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Budapest or in Matosinhos?
It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,638 in Budapest to $1,913 in Matosinhos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Matosinhos?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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