Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Mecca

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
Learn more

Mecca Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Mecca

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $936 in Mecca, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Mecca $936

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,453 in Mecca, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Mecca $1,453

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,970 in Mecca, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Mecca $1,970

Budapest costs about 73% more than Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Mecca is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$4.57 SAR 17.14

205.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$26.89 SAR 101

127.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.07 SAR 26.52

44.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.61 SAR 9.79

24.90%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.67 SAR 2.51

219.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.23 SAR 0.86

673.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.03 SAR 3.85

73.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.11 SAR 7.91

18.01%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.52 SAR 9.46

54.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$5.92 SAR 22.20

87.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$8.08 SAR 30.33

-18.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.95 SAR 48.59

13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.09 SAR 7.84

-12.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.58 SAR 5.94

29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.61 SAR 6.05

47.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.47 SAR 5.52

165.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.12 SAR 4.21

-11.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.30 SAR 4.87

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.05 SAR 3.94

50.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.50 SAR 1.86

34.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.81 SAR 25.56

16.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.34 SAR 5.03

13.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.43 SAR 9.11

36.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$13.15 SAR 49.33

50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.63 SAR 2.38

188.89%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

-37.25%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

60.05%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$66.9 SAR 251

155.94%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$35.35 SAR 133

-33.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$63.2 SAR 237

-63.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$80.7 SAR 303

-16.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$42.52 SAR 160

-55.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.96 SAR 44.88

-22.24%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$775 SAR 2,907

-31.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

3.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$13.57 SAR 50.9

634.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$56.9 SAR 214

-23.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$39.67 SAR 149

178.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$53.3 SAR 200

123.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$533 SAR 2,001

55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$290 SAR 1,088

114.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$830 SAR 3,114

92.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$523 SAR 1,963

123.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

-8.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,298 SAR 8,624

69.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,083 SAR 4,063

52.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.25

22.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Mecca

$290 31% 53.4% $332

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Mecca

$193 20.6% 25.1% $65

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Mecca

$93 9.9% 58.5% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Mecca

$165 17.7% 24.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Mecca

$74 7.9% 56.1% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Mecca

$105 11.2% 21.5% $19

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Mecca

$17 * 1.8% 62.6% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $533 in Mecca. 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 52% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $27.00 in Mecca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $193 – making Mecca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

06:15 6:15 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,675,368

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Mecca 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Mecca

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 Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,404 in Mecca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $27.00 in Mecca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mecca, where all-in costs run around $936, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Mecca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mecca – 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 Mecca. 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.