Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Medan

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $613 in Medan, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Medan $613

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $940 in Medan, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Medan $940

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,266 in Medan, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Medan $1,266

Budapest costs about 164% more than Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Medan is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

715.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

637.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

245.42%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

113.07%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.35 Rp 6,215

511.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.25 Rp 4,534

612.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

123.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

5.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

51.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

207.41%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

195.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

36.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

84.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

130.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

-23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

95.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

66.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

319.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.38 Rp 6,905

315.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.44 Rp 7,872

52.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

177.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

-60.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

-30.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.27 Rp 4,816

462.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

372.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.51 Rp 9,186

549.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.19 Rp 3,465

621.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

127.50%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

20.78%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

4.96%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

101.70%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

641.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

-1.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

298.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

124.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

182.67%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$112 Rp 2.0M

377.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

890.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

83.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$108 Rp 1.9M

2.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$111 Rp 2.0M

7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$233 Rp 4.2M

256.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

592.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$494 Rp 8.9M

222.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$212 Rp 3.8M

452.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

403.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$560 Rp 10.1M

594.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$215 Rp 3.9M

667.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

9.25

-30.27%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Medan

$90 14.6% 85.6% $532

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Medan

$181 29.5% 29.9% $77

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Medan

$59 9.6% 73.7% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Medan

$112 18.2% 48.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Medan

$140 22.9% 16.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Medan

$24 3.8% 72.7% $63

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 80.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $233 in Medan. 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 667% 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 $8.00 in Medan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $181 – making Medan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Medan 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 164%, 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 $920 in Medan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 373% less in Medan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $112 in Medan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medan, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Medan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medan – 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 Medan. 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.