Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Medea

For one person, living is cheaper in Medea: $452 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Medea
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Medea Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Medea

🇩🇿 Algeria

$452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Medea

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $452 in Medea, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Medea $452

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $773 in Medea, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Medea $773

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,095 in Medea, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Medea $1,095

Budapest costs about 258% more than Medea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Medea is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$1.91 DZD 256

629.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$28.16 DZD 3,771

117.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$3.97 DZD 532

156.68%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$0.37 DZD 49.16

781.08%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.40 DZD 53.9

435.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.19 DZD 26.00

836.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.26 DZD 303

64.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.28 DZD 305

65.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.89 DZD 119

29.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.09 DZD 11.91

1888.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.14 DZD 153

118.42%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.17 DZD 157

233.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.02 DZD 1,074

38.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.85 DZD 515

71.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$14.49 DZD 1,941

1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.00 DZD 268

-8.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.77 DZD 370

-25.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.08 DZD 144

119.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.55 DZD 73.0

609.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.57 DZD 76.3

73.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.49 DZD 65.0

104.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.80 DZD 108

97.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.27 DZD 36.50

148.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.07 DZD 277

284.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.59 DZD 882

-5.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.27 DZD 170

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.91 DZD 256

6.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.21 DZD 28.23

623.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$6.77 DZD 906

313.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.54 DZD 72.6

512.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.46 DZD 62.2

197.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.54 DZD 741

257.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.36 DZD 47.76

405.56%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$18.9K DZD 2.5M

57.36%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$34.9K DZD 4.7M

-3.13%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$18.45 DZD 2,470

827.48%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.91 DZD 1,059

197.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$12.23 DZD 1,638

90.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$22.02 DZD 2,948

206.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$1.89 DZD 254

899.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$3.29 DZD 440

182.67%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$38.35 DZD 5,134

1290.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,214 DZD 831.9K

169.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$19.56 DZD 2,619

409.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$31.40 DZD 4,204

38.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$30.44 DZD 4,075

262.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$53.5 DZD 7,159

122.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$146 DZD 19.6K

467.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$91.4 DZD 12.2K

580.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$273 DZD 36.6K

482.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$192 DZD 25.7K

509.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$969 DZD 129.8K

501.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,029 DZD 137.8K

277.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$310 DZD 41.6K

431.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

29.00%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medea: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Medea

$91 20.3% 85.3% $530

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Medea

$172 38.1% 33.3% $86

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Medea

$50 11.1% 77.6% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Medea

$39 8.5% 82.3% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Medea

$61 13.4% 63.8% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Medea

$29 6.3% 66.8% $58

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Medea

$10 2.3% 76.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $146 in Medea. 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 432% 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 $28.00 in Medea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $172 – making Medea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇩🇿 Medea

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

11:35 11:35 AM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

138,355

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Medea 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Budapest
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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 Medea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 258%, 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 $677 in Medea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 314% less in Medea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $38.35 in Medea. 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 Medea, where all-in costs run around $452, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Medea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medea – 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 Medea. 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.