Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Matosinhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Matosinhos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,666 per month in Budapest vs $1,989 in Matosinhos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,657 per month in Budapest vs $2,876 in Matosinhos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,649 per month in Budapest vs $3,762 in Matosinhos, rent included.

Budapest is about 16% cheaper than Matosinhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Budapest and Matosinhos sit above the global median – Budapest by 22%, Matosinhos by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.41 Ft 4,583

$14.11 €12.30

2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 Ft 20.1K

$49.30 €42.98

28.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 Ft 3,567

$9.70 €8.45

15.57%

Cappuccino

$3.56 Ft 1,131

$2.71 €2.36

31.37%

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

$2.16 Ft 687

$2.14 €1.86

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 Ft 639

$1.41 €1.23

42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 Ft 1,223

$2.87 €2.50

34.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 Ft 1,220

$3.38 €2.94

13.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Ft 397

$1.15 €1.00

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 595

$1.76 €1.54

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 Ft 811

$1.78 €1.55

43.26%

Eggs

$4.10 Ft 1,305

$3.65 €3.18

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 Ft 3,796

$12.13 €10.58

-1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 Ft 2,188

$7.29 €6.35

-5.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 Ft 4,868

$15.06 €13.13

1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 Ft 635

$2.26 €1.97

-11.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 Ft 696

$1.63 €1.42

34.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 Ft 802

$1.91 €1.66

31.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 Ft 1,317

$2.57 €2.24

61.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 318

$1.70 €1.48

-41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 327

$1.89 €1.65

-45.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 Ft 532

$1.58 €1.37

5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 222

$0.70 €0.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 Ft 2,602

$6.60 €5.75

23.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 Ft 2,006

$5.72 €4.99

10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 Ft 417

$1.45 €1.26

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 Ft 670

$2.21 €1.93

-4.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 Ft 498

$2.39 €2.08

-34.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 Ft 8,951

$47.05 €41.01

-40.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 Ft 1,113

$4.12 €3.59

-15.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 Ft 431

$0.91 €0.79

48.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.69 Ft 6,581

$14.33 €12.49

44.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 Ft 617

$2.21 €1.93

-12.22%

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

$31.6K Ft 10.0M

$35.0K €30.5K

-9.73%

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

$34.6K Ft 11.0M

$39.2K €34.2K

-11.76%

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

$174 Ft 55.4K

$165 €144

5.63%

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

$25.89 Ft 8,235

$23.01 €20.05

12.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.46 Ft 7,781

$34.04 €29.67

-28.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 Ft 22.3K

$54.5 €47.54

28.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.50 Ft 6,204

$17.46 €15.22

11.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.59 Ft 3,051

$9.26 €8.08

3.56%

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

$555 Ft 176.5K

$586 €511

-5.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K Ft 5.6M

$10.9K €9,542

59.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 Ft 33.4K

$100 €87.3

4.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.79 Ft 13.9K

$39.03 €34.02

12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 Ft 37.3K

$98.1 €85.5

19.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 38.6K

$107 €93.1

13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 Ft 273.6K

$1,309 €1,141

-34.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 Ft 208.4K

$1,007 €878

-34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 Ft 537.7K

$2,339 €2,039

-27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 Ft 401.5K

$1,645 €1,434

-23.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,865 Ft 1.9M

$4,402 €3,837

33.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,017 Ft 1.3M

$3,890 €3,391

3.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 Ft 551.8K

$1,234 €1,076

40.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

3.83

71.28%

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

Last update for Budapest: September 13, 2026

Last update for Matosinhos: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $860 in Budapest versus $1,309 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 41% 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 $63.0 in Budapest versus $49.00 in Matosinhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $257 – making Matosinhos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Matosinhos is pricier by about 19%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,499 per month in Budapest and $2,983 in Matosinhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 67% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $555 per month in Budapest and $586 in Matosinhos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,666, than in Matosinhos at $1,989. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Matosinhos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Matosinhos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.