Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Meerut

For one person, living is cheaper in Meerut: $384 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Meerut
Learn more

Meerut Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Meerut

🇮🇳 India

$384

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Meerut

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $384 in Meerut, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Meerut $384

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $590 in Meerut, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Meerut $590

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $796 in Meerut, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Meerut $796

Budapest costs about 329% more than Meerut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Meerut is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,419

$3.26 ₹308

318.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.7K

$10.66 ₹1,007

468.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,248

$2.61 ₹246

283.91%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,078

$1.83 ₹173

81.97%

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

$2.12 Ft 686

$0.37 ₹34.97

472.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 583

$0.14 ₹12.90

1185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,169

$1.50 ₹142

140.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,163

$1.79 ₹169

100.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 362

$0.61 ₹57.3

83.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 624

$0.47 ₹44.71

310.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 806

$0.71 ₹67.0

250.70%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,278

$0.83 ₹78.3

374.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,656

$3.65 ₹344

209.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,183

$1.91 ₹180

252.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,682

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 603

$1.23 ₹116

51.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 660

$0.67 ₹63.5

204.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 742

$0.61 ₹57.8

275.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,294

$0.48 ₹45.62

731.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 305

$0.28 ₹26.34

235.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 331

$0.35 ₹32.65

191.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 536

$0.38 ₹36.25

334.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 221

$0.30 ₹28.35

126.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,533

$4.53 ₹428

72.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,952

$9.96 ₹940

-39.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 419

$1.37 ₹130

-5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 656

$1.99 ₹188

1.51%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$2.90 ₹274

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 485

$0.33 ₹31.63

354.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,792

$6.25 ₹591

334.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,088

$0.52 ₹48.91

546.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 445

$0.22 ₹20.79

522.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,468

$1.07 ₹101

1765.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 604

$1.09 ₹103

70.64%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

$8,304 ₹784.4K

243.39%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$12.8K ₹1.2M

161.56%

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

$178 Ft 57.8K

$36.86 ₹3,482

383.37%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,643

$3.14 ₹297

650.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,817

$5.10 ₹482

372.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.6K

$10.50 ₹992

563.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,520

$12.55 ₹1,185

35.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,397

$3.76 ₹355

178.72%

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

$625 Ft 202.6K

$31.88 ₹3,011

1860.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

$1,271 ₹120.1K

1445.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.1K

$24.93 ₹2,355

309.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.1K

$23.56 ₹2,226

84.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.6K

$39.30 ₹3,712

179.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.1K

$39.40 ₹3,722

206.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 274.0K

$150 ₹14.2K

462.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.9K

$95.9 ₹9,058

565.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 521.5K

$715 ₹67.5K

125.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 394.5K

$174 ₹16.4K

599.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

$648 ₹61.2K

757.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

$240 ₹22.6K

1526.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 559.0K

$467 ₹44.1K

269.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

8.73

-27.38%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Meerut: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Meerut

$96 25% 85% $542

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Meerut

$90 23.4% 65.4% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Meerut

$45 11.7% 80% $181

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Meerut

$69 18% 68.6% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Meerut

$57 14.9% 66.2% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Meerut

$18 4.7% 80.1% $73

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Meerut

$9.2 2.4% 78.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $150 in Meerut. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 3.7 times higher, 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 in Budapest versus $11 in Meerut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $90 – making Meerut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇳 Meerut

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

08:29 8:29 AM

4 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

500,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Meerut 5,380 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Meerut

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 Meerut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 329%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $576 in Meerut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Meerut, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $150 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Meerut. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Budapest and $32 in Meerut. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Meerut, where all-in costs run around $384, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Meerut it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Meerut – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Meerut. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.